AT  COLBY 


ARTHUR 


Q- 


JACK    MANAGED   TO   GET   THE    BALL    AND   START   WITH    IT    FOR 
THE   GOAL. 

The  Rover  Boys  at  Colby  Hall.  Frontispiece— Page  223 


THE  ROVER  BOYS 
AT  COLBY  HALL 

OR 

THE  STRUGGLES  OF 
THE  YOUNG  CADETS 


BY 


AUTHOR  OF  "THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL,"  "THE  ROVER 

BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN,"  "THE  PUTNAM 

HALL  SERIES,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 

Made  in  the  United  States  of  America 


BOOKS  BY  ARTHUR  M.  WINFIELD 

(Edward  Stratemeyer) 


THE  FIRST  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  OUT  WEST 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  CAMP 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  LAND  AND  SEA 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  RIVER 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  SOUTHERN  WATERS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  FARM 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLLEGE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  DOWN  EAST 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  AIR 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  ALASKA 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  BUSINESS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  A  TOUR 


THE  SECOND  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


THE  PUTNAM  HALL  SERIES 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CADETS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  RIVALS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CHAMPIONS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  REBELLION 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  ENCAMPMENT 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  MYSTERY 


I2mo.    Cloth.     Illustrated. 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  New  York 

COPYRIGHT,  1917,  BY 
EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


The  Rover  Boys  at  Colby  HaU 


Stack 
Anne* 


INTRODUCTION 

MY  DEAR  BOYS:  This  book  is  a  complete 
story  in  itself,  but  forms  the  first  volume  in  a 
line  issued  under  the  general  title,  "The  Second 
Rover  Boys  Series  for  Young  Americans." 

As  mentioned  in  several  of  the  other  volumes 
of  the  first  series,  this  line  was  started  a  number 
of  years  ago  with  the  publication  of  "The  Rover 
Boys  at  School/'  in  which  my  readers  were  in- 
troduced to  Dick,  Tom,  and  Sam  Rover,  three 
wide-awake  American  lads.  In  that  volume  and 
in  those  which  followed  I  gave  the  particulars 
of  their  adventures  while  attending  Putnam  Hall 
Military  Academy,  Brill  College,  and  while  on 
numerous  outings,  both  in  our  own  country  and 
abroad. 

The  Rover  boys  were,  of  course,  growing 
older;  and,  having  met  three  young  ladies  very 
much  to  their  liking,  each  married  and  settled 
down,  as  related  in  detail  in  the  several  volumes 
immediately  preceding  this.  They  were  well  es- 
tablished in  business ;  and  in  due  course  of  time 

iii 


2076552 


!v  INTRODUCTION 

Dick  Rover  was  blessed  with  a  son,  as  was  also 
Sam,  while  the  fun-loving  Tom  became  the  proud 
possessor  of  a  pair  of  twins  who  were  as  full  of 
life  as  their  father  had  ever  been. 

In  this  volume  the  younger  Rover  boys  are  old 
enough  to  go  to  boarding  school.  They  are  sent 
to  Colby  Hall  Military  Academy,  presided  over 
by  an  old  friend  and  schoolmate  of  their  fathers; 
and  there  they  make  both  friends  and  enemies, 
and  have  numerous  adventures. 

In  the  beginning  this  chronicle  of  the  younger 
Rovers,  I  wish  to  thank  my  numerous  readers 
for  all  the  kind  things  they  have  said  about  the 
other  volumes  in  these  series,  and  I  trust  that  they 
will  make  just  as  good  friends  of  Jack,  Andy 
and  Randy,  and  Fred  as  they  did  of  Dick,  Tom, 
and  Sam  Rover. 

Affectionately  and  sincerely  yours, 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  INTRODUCING  THE  YOUNGER  ROVERS I 

II  SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST 13 

III  WHAT  FOLLOWED  ANOTHER  TRICK 24 

IV  JACK  IN  WALL  STREET 35 

V  GETTING  READY  TO  LEAVE 45 

VI  ON  THE  TRAIN 54 

VII  A  SCENE  IN  THE  DINING  CAR 65 

VIII  AT   COLBY   HALL 76 

IX  THE  MISSING  SUITCASE 88 

X  GETTING  ACQUAINTED 98 

XI  DOWN  IN  THE  CORNFIELD 109 

XII  LEARNING  TO  DRILL 119 

XIII  FRED  Is  FOLLOWED 129 

XIV  THE  FIGHT 139 

XV  IN  THE  TOWN 148 

XVI  AT  THE  MOVING  PICTURE  THEATER 157 

XVII  THE  GIRLS  FROM  CLEARWATER  HALL 167 

XVIII  SLUGGER  BROWN  Is  EXPOSED 178 

XIX  A  SQUALL  ON  THE  LAKE 187 

v 


vi  CONTENTS 

f 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX    IN  GREAT  PERIL 197 

XXI    ASSISTANCE    REFUSED 206 

XXII    THE  MEETING  WITH  HIXLEY  HIGH 216 

XXIII  TARGET  PRACTICE 226 

XXIV  THE  FUN  OF  HALLOWE'EN 235 

XXV    OFF  ON  A  HUNT 245 

XXVI    FROM  ONE  TROUBLE  TO  ANOTHER 254 

XXVII    ELIAS  LACY'S  DEMAND 265 

XXVIII    IN  THE  GUARDROOM 274 

XXIX    THE  EXPOSURE 284 

XXX    A  FOOTBALL  VICTORY — CONCLUSION 296 


THE  ROVER  BOYS 
AT  COLBY  HALL 


CHAPTER   I 

INTRODUCING   THE   YOUNGER   ROVERS 

**FoR  gracious  sake!  what's  that  racket?"  ex- 
claimed Dick  Rover,  as  he  threw  down  the 
newspaper  he  was  reading  and  leaped  to  his  feet. 

"Sounds  to  me  as  if  there  was  a  battle  royal 
going  on,"  returned  his  younger  brother,  Sam, 
who  was  at  a  desk  in  the  library  of  the  old  farm- 
house, writing  a  letter. 

"It's  those  boys!"  exclaimed  Tom  Rover,  as 
he  tossed  aside  a  copy  of  a  comic  paper  which 
he  had  been  looking  over.  "I'll  wager  they're 
up  to  some  mischief  again." 

"Well,  if  they  are  your  boys,  Tom,  you  mustn't 
find  fault  with  them,"  answered  Sam  Rover, 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "If  ever  there  were 
chips  of  the  old  block,  your  twins  are  It  with  a 
capital  I." 


2  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Humph!"  snorted  Tom  Rover.  "I  don't 
think  Andy  and  Randy  are  much  ahead  of  your 
Fred  when  it  conies  to  playing  tricks,  and  I  think 
Dick's  Jack  can  hold  up  his  end  too." 

"Never  mind  about  that  just  now,"  broke  in 
Dick  Rover,  hastily.  "Let's  go  out  and  see  what 
those  kids  are  up  to." 

"All  right.  But  don't  be  too  severe  with  'em," 
pleaded  Tom  Rover.  "Remember,  boys  will  be 
boys." 

"That's  true,  Tom.  But  we've  got  to  take  'em 
in  hand  sooner  or  later,"  remonstrated  his 
brother  Sam.  "If  we  don't,  they'll  grow  up  the 
wildest  bunch  ever  known." 

A  number  of  cries  of  alarm  and  protest, 
mingled  with  fierce  cheering,  had  reached  the 
house  from  the  garden  just  beyond  the  broad 
veranda.  As  the  three  Rover  brothers  hurried 
through  the  hallway  and  outside,  the  yelling  and 
cheering  were  renewed.  Then,  just  as  Tom 
Rover  stepped  out  on  the  veranda,  there  was  a 
sudden  swish  and  a  stream  of  water  from  a 
garden  hose  caught  him  directly  in  the  left  ear. 

"Hi!  Hi!  Stop  that!"  cried  Tom  Rover, 
doing  his  best  to  dodge  the  stream  of  water, 
which  suddenly  seemed  to  play  all  over  the 
piazza.  "What  do  you  mean  by  wetting  me  this 
way?" 


INTRODUCING  THE  YOUNGER  ROVERS       3 

"It  wasn't  my  fault,  Dad,**  came  from  a  boy 
standing  on  the  lawn,  both  handi  clutching  a 
rubber  hose  held,  also,  by  another  boy  of  about 
the  same  age.  "It  was  Fred  who  turned  the  hose 
that  way." 

"Nothing  of  the  sort!  It  was  Randy  twisted 
it  that  way  trying  to  get  it  away  from  me,"  cried 
Fred  Rover.  "And  he  isn't  going  to  do  it !"  and 
thereupon  ensued  a  struggle  between  the  two  boys 
which  caused  the  stream  of  water  to  fly  over  the 
garden  first  in  one  direction  and  t!*en  another. 

In  the  meanwhile,  not  far  away  another  stream 
of  water  was  issuing  from  a  hose  hfld  by  two 
other  lads.  This,  as  well  as  the  water  from  hose 
number  one,  had  been  directed  to  ward  3  the  back 
of  the  garden,  where  an  elderly  white  wan  and 
an  equally  elderly  colored  man  were  trying  to 
shelter  themselves  behind  a  low  hedge  to  ke^p 
from  becoming  drenched. 

"Fo*  de  lan's*  sake,  Massa  Dick!  won't  you 
make  dem  boys  stop?"  cried  out  the  old  colored 
man,  when  he  caught  sight  of  Dick  Rover  hur- 
rying out  on  the  lawn.  "Dem  boys  is  jest  nach- 
erly  tryin*  to  drown  old  Aleck  Pop,  dat's  what 
dey  is!" 

"They  didn't  have  no  call  to  touch  them  hoses/r 
came  from  the  elderly  white  man.  "I  tol'  'enf 
they  mustn't  muss  with  the  water ;  but  they  won't 


4  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

mind  nohow!"  and  thus  speaking  old  Jack  Ness 
held  up  his  hands  in  comic  despair. 

"Why!  we  didn't  know  you  were  behind  the 
hedge,"  came  from  one  of  the  boys  holding  the 
second  hose.  "We  thought  you  were  both  down 
at  the  barn." 

"You  can't  make  believe  like  that,  Andy 
Rover !"  returned  the  old  man  of  all  work,  shak- 
ing his  head  vigorously.  "You  knowed  I  was 
goin'  to  trim  up  this  hedge  a  bit  and  that  Aleck 
was  goin'  to  help  me." 

"You  boys  let  up  with  this  nonsense,"  came 
sternly  from  Tom  Rover.  He  turned  to  face 
one  of  his  twins.  "Randy,  I  ought  to  give  you 
a  thrashing  for  wetting  me  like  this." 

"Don't  Fred  get  half  the  thrashing?"  ques- 
tioned Randy  Rover,  quizzically,  for  he  could 
readily  see  that  his  parent  was  not  as  angry  as 
his  words  seemed  to  imply.  "I  don't  like  to  be 
selfish,  you  know.  He  can  have  more  than  his 
share  if  he  wants  it." 

"You'll  take  your  own  thrashings — I  don't 
want  *em,"  broke  in  his  cousin  Fred  quickly. 

"Jack,"  cried  Dick  Rover,  turning  to  his  son, 
"turn  that  water  off  at  once." 

"I  don't  know  where  to  turn  it  off.  I  didn't 
turn  it  on,"  answered  Jack  Rover,  the  oldest  of 
the  four  boys  who  had  been  fooling. 


INTRODUCING  THE  YOUNGER  ROPERS        5 

"I'll  turn  it  off  and  fix  it  so  they  can't  turn  it 
on  ag'in,"  came  from  old  Jack  Ness,  and  away 
hobbled  the  man  of  all  work. 

"I  think  it's  a  shame  for  you  boys  to  drench 
old  Ness  and  Aleck,"  was  Sam  Rover's  sober 
comment.  "Both  of  them  might  catch  cold  or 
get  rheumatism." 

"We  didn't  start  to  do  anything  like  that,  Dad," 
answered  Fred  Rover.  "We  were  going  to  have 
a  little  fight  between  ourselves,  playing  rival 
firemen.  We  aimed  the  water  at  the  hedge,  and 
we  didn't  see  Ness  and  Aleck  until  they  let  out 
a  yell." 

"But  I  saw  two  of  you  playing  the  water  in 
that  direction,"  cried  Dick  Rover.  "You  were 
one  of  them,  Jack." 

"Oh,  well,  Dad,  what  was  the  harm  after  they 
were  all  wet?"  pleaded  his  son.  "They'd  have 
to  change  their  clothing  anyway." 

"That's  just  it,"  added  Andy  Rover  quickly, 
with  his  eyes  twinkling  from  merriment.  "A 
little  more  water  won't  hurt  a  person  when  he's 
already  soaked.  It's  just  like  spoiling  a  rotten 
egg — it  can't  be  done,"  and  at  this  reply,  both 
Dick  Rover  and  his  brother,  the  fun-loving  Tom, 
had  to  turn  away  their  faces  to  hide  their  amuse- 
ment. Nevertheless,  Dick  sobered  his  face  al- 
most instantly  as  he  answered: 


6  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Well,  these  pranks  around  the  farm  have  got 
to  stop.  You'll  have  your  grandfather  and  Uncle 
Randolph  and  Aunt  Martha  all  upset,  not  to  say 
anything  about  your  sisters  and  your  mothers. 
It's  a  fortunate  thing  that  they  went  down  to 
the  town  to  do  some  shopping.  Otherwise  I 
think  all  of  you  would  be  in  for  quite  some  pun- 
ishment." 

"Oh!  Then  you're  not  going  to  punish  us, 
are  you  ?"  broke  in  Randy  Rover  quickly.  "That's 
fine!  I  knew  you  wouldn't  mind  our  having  a 
little  fun." 

"Don't  be  so  fast,  young  man,"  returned  his 
father.  "Your  Uncle  Dick  may  be  too  lenient. 
I  am  rather  of  the  opinion  that  you  and  your 
brother,  if  not  your  cousins,  have  got  to  be  taken 
in  hand." 

"Oh,  please,  Massa  Tom,  don'  go  f  o'  to  punish 
'em,"  burst  out  old  Aleck  Pop.  "I— I  don't 
s'pose  dey  meant  any  great  ha'm,  even  do  dey  did 
t'row  dat  stream  of  wattah  right  in  dis  yere 
coon's  mouf;"  and  he  smiled  broadly,  showing 
a  row  of  ivories,  rather  the  worse  for  wear. 

"I  think  all  of  you  boys  had  better  go  into  the 
house  and  get  some  dry  clothing  on  before  your 
mothers  put  in  an  appearance,"  suggested  Dick 
Rover.  "If  they  see  you  like  this,  all  dripping 
wet,  they'll  certainly  be  worried." 


INTRODUCING  THE  YOUNGER  ROVERS       7 

"All  right,  Dad;  I'll  do  it,"  answered  Jack, 
quickly.  And  then  he  motioned  to  his  cousins. 
"Come  on,  let's  see  how  fast  we  can  make  the 
change;"  and  off  into  the  big  farmhouse  rushed 
the  boys,  clattering  up  the  back  stairs  one  after 
the  other,  to  the  two  big  rooms  which  they 
occupied. 

"Some  boys!"  was  Sam  Rover's  comment,  as 
he  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"They  are  certainly  growing  older — and 
wilder,"  returned  Dick  Rover. 

"We've  got  to  take  them  in  hand — that  is 
dead  certain !"  said  Tom  Rover,  with  conviction. 
"Why!  if  I  don't  do  something  with  Andy  and 
Randy  pretty  soon,  they'll  be  as — as " 

"As  bad  as  you  were,  Tom,  at  their  age,"  fin- 
ished Dick  Rover,  with  a  smile. 

"Now  you've  said  something,  Dick,"  affirmed 
Sam  Rover.  "Andy  isn't  quite  so  bad  when  it 
comes  to  playing  tricks,  although  he  certainly  says 
some  awfully  funny  things,  but  when  it  comes  to 
doing  things  Randy  continually  puts  me  in  mind 
of  Tom." 

"Oh,  say!  To  hear  you  fellows  talk,  you'd 
think  that  I  was  the  worst  boy  that  ever  lived," 
grumbled  Tom  Rover.  "What  did  I  ever  do  to 
raise  such  a  rumpus  as  this  ?" 

"Phew!    What  did  he  ever  do  to  raise  such  3 


8  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

rumpus  as  this?"  mocked  Sam  Rover.  "Well, 
what  didn't  he  do?  When  father  went  to  Africa 
and  disappeared  and  we  came  down  here  to  good 
old  Valley  Brook  Farm,  wasn't  he  the  constant 
torment  of  Uncle  Randolph  and  Aunt  Martha, 
and  the  hired  girl,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  com- 
munity until,  in  sheer  despair,  uncle  had  to  send 
us  off  to  Putnam  Hall?  And  when  we  went  to 
the  Hall,  who  was  the  first  one  to  get  into 
trouble — exploding  a  giant  firecracker  on  the 
campus  ?  Answer  me  that,  will  you  ?" 

"Ancient  history,"  murmured  Tom  Rover, 
dryly.  But  then,  of  a  sudden  his  eyes  began  to 
twinkle.  "No  use  talking,  though,  we  certainly 
did  have  some  good  times  in  those  days,  didn't 
we?"  he  continued.  "Do  you  remember  how  we 
got  the  best  of  old  Josiah  Crabtree?" 

"\  es.  And  how  we  got  the  best  of  a  whole  lot 
of  our  enemies,"  added  Sam  Rover. 

"Yes,  and  what  gloriously  good  times  we  did 
have  at  Putnam  Hall  and  at  Brill  College,"  came 
from  Dick  Rover,  with  a  sigh.  "Sometimes  I 
wish  all  those  happy  days  could  be  lived  over 
again." 

"When  you  think  of  those  days,  Dick,  just 
think  of  what  great  times  are  in  store  for  our 
boys,"  said  Sam.  "I  only  trust  they  have  as  good 
times  as  we  had." 


INTRODUCING  THE  YOUNGER  ROVERS       9 

"I  guess  they'll  know  how  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves all  right  enough,"  was  Tom  Rover's  com- 
ment. "But,  just  the  same,  we  can't  permit  them 
to  become  too  wild.  Sending  them  to  that  pri- 
vate school  in  New  York  City  doesn't  seem  to 
have  done  them  so  very  much  good,  although,  of 
course,  I  admit  they  are  well  educated  for  their 
age." 

"I  know  where  I'm  going  to  send  Jack  when 
the  proper  time  comes,"  answered  Dick  Rover. 

"Where?"  came  from  his  brothers. 

"I'm  going  to  send  him  to  Colby  Hall,  the 
military  academy  which  our  old  school  chum, 
Larry  Colby,  has  opened.  Larry  sent  me  some 
of  his  literature  some  time  ago ;  and  I  have  heard 
from  several  people  that  it's  already  a  first-class 
institution  of  learning — every  bit  as  good  as  Put- 
nam Hall." 

"Well,  if  it's  half  as  good  as  dear  old  Putnam 
Hall  it  must  be  some  school,"  said  Tom  Rover. 
"And  there's  no  reason  why  Larry  Colby 
shouldn't  be  able  to  run  a  first-class  military  acad- 
emy. He  was  a  good  scholar  and  a  first-class 
cadet  when  he  was  at  Putnam  Hall." 

"After  Larry  left  Putnam.  Hall  he  went  to 
travel  in  Europe,"  continued  Dick.  "Then  he 
went  through  college,  and  immediately  after  that 
he  joined  the  militia  of  New  York  State  and  there 


10          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

worked  his  way  up  until  he  now  sports  the  title 
of  colonel." 

"Colonel  Colby,  eh  ?  That's  going  some,"  was 
Tom's  comment. 

"His  school  is  patterned  after  West  Point, 
as  was  Putnam  Hall,  and  I  understand  he  has  a 
West  Point  officer  there  to  instruct  the  cadets  in 
military  tactics." 

"Well,  that's  the  sort  of  school  our  boys  will 
need,"  answered  Tom  Rover.  "The  stricter  it  is 
the  better  it  will  be  for  them." 

"I  think  it  would  be  a  good  scheme  to  send  them 
to  Larry  Colby's  school,"  was  Sam's  comment. 
"As  Larry  knows  us  so  well  he  would  probably 
take  an  especial  interest  in  our  boys." 

"Yes.  But  I  wouldn't  want  him  to  show  our 
lads  any  special  favors,"  broke  in  Tom,  quickly. 
"If  the  boys  went  there,  I  should  want  them  to 
stand  on  their  own  feet,  just  as  we  did  when  we 
went  to  Putnam  Hall." 

"That's  the  talk,  Torn !  No  favoritism !"  cried 
Dick.  "The  oniy  way  to  make  a  boy  thoroughly 
self-reliant  is  to  make  him  take  his  own  part." 

"If  we  are  going  to  send  them  off  to  board- 
ing school,  they  might  as  well  go  this  Fall  as  any 
other  time,"  remarked  Sam  Rover.  "Have  you 
any  idea  when  the  term  at  Colby  Hall  begins, 
Dick?" 


INTRODUCING  THE  YOUNGER  ROVERS     n 

"About  the  middle  of  September." 

"It's  the  middle  of  August  now.  That  would 
give  us  a  full  month  in  which  to  make  arrange- 
ments and  for  them  in  which  to  get  ready." 

"Have  you  ever  said  anything  to  the  twina 
about  going  to  boarding  school,  Tom?"  ques- 
tioned Sam. 

"Oh,  yes.  They  understand  that  they  are  to 
go  to  some  place  sooner  or  later.  Fred  under- 
stands it,  too,  doesn't  he?" 

"Yes." 

"And  I  told  Jack  only  a  short  while  ago  that 
he  must  get  ready  to  think  of  leaving  home,"  put 
in  Dick  Rover.  "Of  course,  it  will  be  rather  hard 
on  the  boys  at  first.  They  have  never  been  away 
from  us  at  all  except  the  two  weeks  when  they 
were  out  in  that  boys'  camp." 

"They'll  have  to  get  used  to  it,  just  as  we  got 
used  to  it  when  father  went  off  to  Africa  and 
Uncle  Randy  sent  us  to  Putnam  Hall.  Perhaps 
we  had  better  tell  them " 

Sam  Rover  broke  off  short  as  a  series  of 
shrieks  in  a  high-pitched  feminine  voice  issued 
from  the  pantry  of  the  big  farmhouse.  An  in- 
stant later  a  hired  girl,  followed  by  a  middle-aged 
cook,  came  flying  forth  from  the  kitchen  door- 
way. 

"Oh,  save  me !    Save  me !"  cried  the  hired  girl, 


12  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

clutching  her  skirts  tightly  around  her  ankles. 
"Save  me!" 

"Oh,  Mr.  Rover!  Mr.  Rover!  It's  those 
dreadful  boys!  I  won't  stay  here  another  min- 
ute!" screamed  the  cook,  flourishing  a  big  spoon 
in  one  hand  and  a  dish-cloth  in  the  other.  "It's 
outrageous !  That's  what  it  is !  I'm  going  to  pack 
my  trunk  and  leave  this  house  right  away !" 

"What's  the  matter?"  demanded  Tom  Rover, 
quickly. 

"Are  you  hurt?"  came  anxiously  from  Dick. 

"What  have  the  boys  done  now?"  questioned 
Sam. 

"What  have  they  done  ?"  wailed  the  hired  girl. 
"I  just  went  into  the  pantry  and  opened  the  closet 
door  and  out  jumped  about  a  thousand  mice  at 
me!" 

"Yes!  and  they  are  running  all  over  the 
house !"  broke  in  the  cook  savagely.  "One  of  'em 
ran  right  over  my  foot  and  tried  to  bite  me  •  I'm 
going  to  pack  my  trunk  and  leave !  I  won't  stay 
here  another  minute !" 


CHAPTER  II 

SOMETHING  OF   THE   PAST 

AT  the  announcement  of  the  hired  girl  that 
their  sons  had  let  loose  in  the  farmhouse  a  thou- 
sand mice — more  or  less — the  three  Rover  broth- 
ers looked  at  each  other  enquiringly. 

"Another  joke — and  so  soon!"  gasped  Sam 
Rover. 

"That  certainly  is  the  limit!"  broke  out  Dick 
Rover,  as  he  started  for  the  house. 

"If  I  find  Andy  and  Randy  have  been  up  to 
another  trick  right  on  top  of  this  water-hose  non- 
sense, I'll  give  them  a  tanning  they  won't  forget 
in  a  hurry,"  added  Tom  Rover ;  and  then  he  and 
Sam  followed  Dick  up  the  back  porch  and  into 
the  kitchen. 

To  the  readers  of  the  former  volumes  in  these 
two  "Rover  Boys  Series,"  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam 
Rover  will  need  no  special  introduction.  For  the 
benefit  of  others,  however,  let  me  state  that  the 
sober-minded  and  determined  Dick  was  the  old- 
est of  the  three,  with  the  fun-loving  Tom  corn- 
is 


I4  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

ing  next  and  sturdy  Sam  being  the  youngest 
They  were  the  sons  of  one  Anderson  Rover,  who, 
when  not  traveling,  made  his  home  at  Valley 
,  Brook  Farm,  in  New  York  State,  living  there 
with  his  brother  Randolph  Rover  and  wife  Mar- 
tha. 

While  Dick,  Tom,  and  Sam  were  quite  young, 
and  while  their  father  was  off  exploring  in  the 
interior  of  Africa,  the  three  Rovers  had  been 
sent  to  Putnam  Hall  Military  Academy,  where 
they  had  'made  a  few  enemies  and  likewise  a  host 
of  friends,  including  a  manly  and  straight- for- 
ward cadet  named  Lawrence  Colby.  After  many 
adventures  both  at  school  and  in  various  por- 
tions of  the  globe,  they  had  graduated  from  Put- 
nam Hall  with  honor  and  then  entered  Brill  Col- 
lege. 

At  that  time,  Mr.  Anderson  Rover,  who  had 
long  since  returned  from  Africa,  was  not  in  the 
best  of  health.  He  had  numerous  business  in- 
terests both  in  Wall  Street,  New  York  City,  and 
in  the  West  to  take  care  of,  and  presently  it  was 
found  necessary  that  Dick  leave  college  and  take 
charge  of  business  matters  for  his  parent.  In 
this  task  Dick  was  soon  aided  by  Tom,  leaving 
Sam  the  only  member  of  the  family  to  graduate 
from  Brill. 

While  at  Putnam  Hall  the  three  Rovers  had 


SOMETHING   OF  THE  PAST  15 

become  acquainted  with  three  charming  girls, 
Dora  Stanhope  and  her  cousins,  Nellie  and  Grace 
Laning.  This  acquaintance  had  ripened  into  lov- 
ing intimacy;  and  when  Dick  went  into  business 
he  took  Dora  Stanhope  for  his  life-long  partner. 
A  little  later  Tom  was  married  to  Nellie  Laning, 
and,  after  he  had  left  Brill  and  joined  his  broth- 
ers in  conducting  their  father's  various  business 
enterprises,  Sam  married  Grace  Laning. 

With  the  aid  of  Mr.  Anderson  Rover  and  some 
others,  The  Rover  Company  was  organized  with 
offices  on  Wall  Street,  New  York  City.  The 
company  dealt  in  stocks,  bonds,  real  estate,  and 
other  investments;  and  Dick  was  now  president, 
with  Tom  secretary  and  Sam  treasurer.  The 
company  had  been  prosperous  from  the  start,  al- 
though on  several  occasions  enemies  had  done 
their  best  to  give  the  concern  a  black  eye. 

When  they  were  first  married,  Dick  and  his 
beautiful  wife  Dora  had  begun  housekeeping  in 
a  cosy  apartment  in  the  metropolis,  and  they  had 
presently  been  followed  by  Tom  and  Sam.  But 
two  years  later  the  three  brothers  had  a  chance 
to  buy  a  beautiful  plot  of  ground  on  Riverside < 
Drive  facing  the  noble  Hudson  River,  and  on 
this  they  built  three  fine  houses  adjoining  each 
other,  Dick  living  in  the  middle  house  with  Tom 
on  one  side  and  Sam  on  the  other. 


16          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

Before  the  happy  young  folks  moved  into  the 
new  homes,  Dick  and  Dora  were  blessed  with  a 
little  son,  who  later  on  was  named  John,  after 
Mr.  John  Laning.  Later  still,  this  couple  had  a 
daughter,  whom  they  named  Martha,  after  Aunt 
Martha  of  Valley  Brook  Farm.  Little  Jack,  as 
he  was  called  in  those  days,  was  a  wonderfully 
bright  and  clever  lad  with  many  of  the  clear- 
minded  qualities  which  had  made  his  father  so 
successful  in  life. 

About  the  time  young  Jack  was  presented  with 
a  baby  sister,  Tom  and  Nellie  Rover  came  for- 
ward with  twin  boys,  one  of  whom  was  named 
Anderson,  after  his  grandfather,  and  the  other 
Randolph,  after  his  uncle.  Andy  and  Randy,  as 
they  were  always  called  for  short,  were  exceed- 
ingly bright,  each  taking  after  his  father,  Andy 
always  saying  things  that  were  more  or  less  funny 
and  Randy  playing  tricks  whenever  he  got  the 
chance.  They  were  truly  chips  of  the  old  block, 
and  Tom  knew  it,  although  outwardly  he  pro- 
fessed to  be  ignorant  of  the  fact. 

"Those  twins  will  be  some  boys  when  they 
grow  up,"  was  old  Anderson  Rover's  comment, 
when  the  lads  were  less  than  five  years  old. 
"They're  just  as  full  of  fun  now  as  Tom  ever 
dared  to  be." 

"So  they  are,"  answered  his  brother  Randolph, 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  17 

"My !  my !  what  will  they  ever  do  with  them  when 
they  get  a  little  older?" 

"I  sha'n't  mind,"  said  Aunt  Martha,  her  eyes 
beaming  brightly.  "That  is,  if  they  are  really 
and  truly  as  good-hearted  as  Tom  has  always 
been.  He  certainly  was  the  worst  of  the  lot  when 
it  came  to  playing  jokes,  but  no  lad  ever  had  a 
better  heart  than  Tom — not  one !" 

About  the  time  that  Tom  began  to  boast  about 
his  twins,  Sam  and  Grace  came  along  with  a 
beautiful  little  girl,  whom  they  named  Mary,  after 
Mrs.  Laning.  About  a  year  later  the  girl  was 
followed  by  a  boy,  and  this  sturdy  little  chap  was 
named  Fred,  after  Sam's  old  school  chum,  Fred 
Garrison. 

Living  so  close  together,  the  four  boys  and  the 
two  girls  were  brought  up  almost  like  one  big 
family.  The  girls  were  all  but  inseparable,  and 
the  boys  could  generally  be  found  together,  either 
studying,  playing,  or  having  a  good  time. 

When  the  time  came  to  set  the  children  to 
studying,  Martha  and  Mary  were  placed  in  a 
private  school  for  girls  located  but  a  short  distance 
from  their  homes.  It  was  thought  best,  however, 
at  the  start  to  send  the  boys  to  a  public  school, 
and  this  was  done.  For  three  years  matters 
went  along  very  well,  and  during  that  time  The 
Xlover  Company  prospered  far  beyond  the  ex- 


l8          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

pectations  of  those  in  charge.  But  then  Andy 
and  Randy,  becoming  a  little  older,  began  to  ex- 
hibit their  talent  for  playing  tricks,  and  usually 
they  were  seconded  in  these  efforts  by  Jack  and 
Fred.  Once  or  twice  all  of  the  boys  were  re- 
ported by  the  school  principal  for  this,  and  each 
time  the  lads  were  remonstrated  with  by  their 
fathers  in  such  a  manner  that,  as  young  Andy  ex- 
pressed it,  "it  was  far  more  comfortable  to  sit 
down  standing  up  than  it  was  any  other  way." 

"I  think  I'll  have  to  do  something  with  those 
twins,"  said  Tom  Rover  to  his  wife,  after  the 
boys  had  been  reported  for  more  tricks.  "The 
school  they  go  to  doesn't  seem  to  be  strict 
enough."  And  thereupon  he  had  sent  the  boys 
to  a  private  establishment  further  uptown. 

Jack  and  Fred  had  begged  their  parents  that 
they  might  be  allowed  to  do  likewise ;  and  at  this 
private  school  the  four  cousins  had  been  kept 
until  the  close  of  the  Spring  term  the  preceding 
June.  To  the  credit  of  this  school  it  must  be  said 
that  the  boys  advanced  rapidly  in  their  studies. 
Their  deportment,  however,  was  apparently  no 
better  than  it  had  been  before,  and  as  a  conse- 
quence Tom  Rover  was  more  worried  than  ever, 
while  Dick  and  Sam  began  to  wonder  secretly 
whether  it  would  not  be  advisable  to  separate 
their  sons  from  the  mischievous  twins. 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  ig 

One  day  Dick  broached  this  subject  to  his  off- 
spring. At  once  young  Jack  set  up  a  wild  re- 
monstrance. 

"Oh,  Dad !  don't  take  me  away  from  Andy  and 
Randy  and  Fred!"  he  pleaded.  "Why,  we  are 
just  like  brothers!  I  wouldn't  know  how  to  get 
along  without  'em." 

"But  I'm  afraid  Andy  and  Randy  are  leading 
you  into  bad  habits,"  returned  Dick  Rover. 

"I  don't  think  so,  Dad.  Anyway,  I've  heard 
folks  say  that  Andy  and  Randy  are  no  worse 
than  their  father  used  to  be — and  you  never 
wanted  to  be  separated  from  Uncle  Tom,  did 
you?" 

At  this  question  Dick  Rover's  face  took  on  a 
sudden  sober  look.  "No;  I  never  wanted  to  be 
separated  from  your  uncle,  that's  true,"  he  said. 
"But  I  tell  you  what  we  did  used  to  do.  When 
his  pranks  got  too  wild  I  and  your  Uncle  Sam 
used  to  hold  him  in." 

"All  right  then,  Dad.  I'll  tell  Fred  about  this, 
and  we'll  see  what  we  can  do  towards  holding  in 
Andy  and  Randy;"  and  there,  after  some  more 
talk  along  the  same  line,  the  matter  was  allowed 
to  rest. 

Young  Jack  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  that  Spring  term  at  the  pri- 
vate school  in  New  York  City,  Andy  and  Randy 


20          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

were  as  well  behaved  as  could  possibly  be  ex- 
pected from  two  red-blooded  lads. 

It  had  been  planned  by  the  Rovers  that  the 
Summer  should  be  spent  by  all  the  young  folks 
and  their  mothers  at  Valley  Brook  Farm,  the 
fathers  to  come  down  from  time  to  time,  and  es- 
pecially ove*  the  week  ends.  Since  Dick,  Tom, 
and  Sam  had  become  married  the  farm  had  been 
enlarged  by  the  purchase  of  two  hundred  addi- 
tional acres.  The  farmhouse,  too,  had  been  made 
larger,  with  the  old  portion  remodeled,  and  a 
water  system  from  the  rapidly-growing  town  of 
Dexter's  Corners,  as  well  as  electric  lighting,  had 
been  installed.  A  telephone  had  been  put  in  some 
years  previous. 

At  first  after  their  arrival  at  their  grand- 
father's home,  the  four  boys  had  been  content  to 
take  it  easy,  spending  their  time  roaming  the 
fields,  helping  to  gather  the  fruit,  of  which  there 
was  great  abundance,  and  in  going  fishing  and 
swimming.  But  then  Andy  and  Randy  had 
found  time  growing  a  little  heavy  on  their  hands, 
and  one  prank  had  been  followed  by  another. 
Some  of  the  tricks  had  been  played  on  Jack  and 
Fred,  and  they,  of  course,  had  done  their  best  to 
retaliate,  and  this  had,  on  more  than  one  occa- 
sion, brought  forth  a  forceful,  but  good-natured, 
pitched  battle,  and  the  fathers  and  the  others 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  2\ 

present  had  had  all  they  could  do  to  hold  the  boys 
in  check. 

"I  never  saw  such  boys,"  was  Mary  Rover's 
comment  to  her  brother  Fred.  "Why  can't  you 
behave  yourselves  just  as  Martha  and  I  do?" 

"Oh,  girls  never  have  any  good  times,"  an- 
swered Fred.  "They  just  sit  around  and  primp 
up  and  read,  and  do  things  like  that." 

"Indeed !"  and  Mary  tossed  her  curly  head.  "I 
think  we  have  just  as  good  times  as  you  boys, 
every  bit;  but  we  don't  have  to  be  rough  about 
it ;"  and  then  she  ran  off  to  play  a  game  of  lawn 
tennis  with  her  cousin  Martha. 

The  time  was  the  middle  of  August,  and  as  the 
summer  was  proving  to  be  an  unusually  warm 
one,  all  the  older  Rovers  were  glad  enough  to 
take  it  easy  on  the  farm,  they  having  earlier  in 
the  season  been  down  to  the  seashore  for  a  couple 
of  weeks.  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam  had  each  taken 
a  week  off  at  various  times,  and  all  managed  to 
get  down  to  the  farm  early  every  Saturday  af- 
ternoon, to  remain  until  Sunday  night  or  Mon= 
day  morning. 

And  it  was  late  on  a  Saturday  afternoon,  when 
the  ladies  and  the  girls  had  gone  to  Dexter's 
Corners  to  do  some  shopping,  and  while  the  fath- 
ers were  busy  reading  and  writing,  that  the  event? 
occurred  with  which  the  present  story  opens. 


2j>  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

As  Dick  Rover  ran  into  the  farmhouse  he 
heard  a  slight  scream  coming  from  the  sitting- 
room.  The  scream  was  followed  by  exclama- 
tions from  two  men,  and  then  a  wild  thumping 
as  if  someone  was  hitting  the  floor  with  a  cane. 

"It's  a  mouse — several  of  'em!"  came  in  the 
voice  of  Grandfather  Rover. 

"Oh,  my!  oh,  my!  wherever  did  they  come 
from?"  exclaimed  old  Aunt  Martha. 

"Never  mind  where  they  came  from,  I'll  fix 
*em,"  asserted  old  Randolph  Rover,  and  then  fol- 
lowed another  thumping  as  he  rushed  around  be- 
tween the  chairs  and  behind  the  sofa,  trying  to 
slaughter  some  of  the  scampering  mice  with  his 
heavy  walking  stick. 

"Where  are  they  ?  Where  are  those  mice  ?"  de- 
manded Tom  Rover,  giving  a  hasty  glance  around 
the  kitchen. 

"There  is  one — under  the  sink !"  ejaculated  his 
brother  Sam,  and  catching  up  a  stove  lifter  he 
let  fly  with  such  accurate  aim  that  the  unhappy 
rodent  was  despatched  on  the  spot. 

"I  see  another  one  back  of  the  pantry  door," 
said  Tom  Rover  a  moment  later,  and  then  made 
a  dive  into  the  pantry.  Here,  in  a  side  closet, 
the  door  of  which  was  partly  open,  he  saw  a 
broom  and  grabbed  it  quickly.  Then  he  made  a 
wild  pass  at  the  mouse,  but  the  rodent  eluded  him 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  23 

and  scrambled  over  the  kitchen  floor  and  into  the 
sitting-room. 

"Oh,  dear!  Oh,  dear!  Did  you  ever  see  so 
many  mice?"  came  in  a  wailing  voice  from  Aunt 
Martha.  She  had  clambered  up  on  a  chair  and 
stood  there  holding  her  dress  tightly  around  her 
feet. 

"It's  another  of  those  boys'  tricks,  that's  what 
it  is,"  asserted  Grandfather  Rover.  "They  ought 
to  be  punished  for  it." 

"Yes.  But  we've  got  to  get  rid  of  these  mice 
first,"  answered  his/brother. 

Then  Randolph  Rover,  seeing  a  mouse  scam- 
pering across  the  side -of  the  room,  threw  his 
walking  stick  at  it  with  all  his  force.  But  his 
aim  was  poor  and  the  walking  stick,  striking  the 
edge  of  the  table,  glanced  off  and  hit  a  fish-globe, 
smashing  it  to  pieces  and  sending  the  water  and 
the  goldfish  flying  in  every  direction. 


CHAPTER   III 

WHAT   FOLLOWED   ANOTHER   TRICK 

WHEN  the  hubbub  downstairs  started  the  four 
Rover  boys  were  up  in  their  adjoining  bedrooms 
partly  undressed  and  in  the  midst  of  a  couple 
of  impromptu  boxing  matches,  one  taking  place 
between  Andy  and  Jack  and  the  other  between 
Randy  and  Fred. 

"There,  my  boy,  how  do  you  like  that?"  cried 
Andy,  as,  dancing  around,  he  managed  to  land 
a  slapping  blow  on  Jack's  bare  shoulder. 

"Fine,  child !  fine !"  retorted  young  Jack.  "But 
not  half  as  good  as  this,"  he  continued,  and,  with 
a  sudden  spring,  he  landed  one  blow  on  Andy's 
chest  and  another  on  his  shoulder  which  sent 
Tom's  son  staggering  half-way  across  the  bed. 

"Hurrah !  one  man  down !  Now  for  the  next !" 
cried  Fred,  and  managed  to  land  several  blows 
in  quick  succession  on  Randy's  shoulder. 

But  then  the  fun-loving  twin  came  at  him  with 
a  rush,  sending  him  into  a  corner  and  on  to  a 
little  table  containing  a  number  of  books.  As 
24 


(VHAT  FOLLOWED  ANOTHER  TRICK       2$ 

Fred  went  down  the  table  did  likewise  and  the 
books  fell  all  over  him. 

"Whoop!"  roared  Randy  in  his  delight. 
"Down  and  buried !" 

"But  not  dead,"  retorted  Fred,  promptly,  and 
catching  up  several  of  the  books  he  hurled  them 
in  quick  succession  at  his  opponent.  One  in  par- 
ticular caught  Randy  in  the  stomach,  and  down 
he  sat  with  a  suddenness  that  jarred  the  floor. 

"Say !"  exclaimed  Jack,  suddenly,  and  held  up 
his  hand,  "this  won't  do  at  all.  The  folks  down- 
stairs will  think  we're  pulling  the  house  down 
over  their  ears.  We'll  have  to  slow  up  a  bit. 
You  know  what  our  fathers  said  a  little  while 
ago." 

"All  right,"  returned  Andy,  promptly,  as  he 
arose  to  his  feet.  "After  this  we'll  be  as  quiet  as 
a  thunder  storm  in  a  moving  picture  drama." 

"That's  the  talk !  Silence  it  is !"  cried  his  twin ; 
and  then  to  let  off  a  little  extra  steam  he  silently 
turned  a  cart-wheel  across  the  floor,  after  which 
he  proceeded  with  his  toilet  making. 

The  boys  were  still  minus  their  collars  and  ties 
when  they  suddenly  realized  that  something  un- 
usual was  taking  place  downstairs.  They  had 
closed  the  bedroom  doors,  but  now  all  of  them 
rushed  out  into  the  hallway. 

'Great   watermelons!"   groaned   Randy,   and 


tse 


26          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

turned  slightly  pale.     "I  forgot  all  about  'em!** 

"About  what?"  chimed  in  Jack. 

"You  don't  mean  the  mice?"  demanded  Andy. 

"Yes,  I  do!" 

"What  mice?"  questioned  Fred. 

"The  mice  I  caught  under  the  flooring  of  the 
old  wagon  house  yesterday,"  answered  Randy. 

"I  thought  you  put  them  in  a  cage  and  drowned 
them  in  the  brook." 

"I  was  going  to  do  that,  but  then  I  changed 
my  mind  and  put  'em  in  a  couple  of  boxes.  I 
thought  maybe  I  might  have  a  chance  to  train  'em 
— just  like  those  mice  we  once  saw  in  a  show." 

"Where  did  you  put  those  boxes?"  demanded 
Andy,  quickly. 

"I — I — didn't  know  exactly  what  to  do  with 
'em,  so — I — I — put  'em  on  the  shelf  in  the  pantry 
downstairs,"  faltered  the  twin. 

"Great  catfish,  Randy !  you've  got  us  into  a  fine 
mess !"  broke  in  Fred. 

"Coming  right  on  top  of  that  trouble  with  the 
water-hose !"  added  Jack,  ruefully. 

After  that  there  was  a  moment  of  silence,  the 
four  cousins  gazing  at  each  other  uncertainly. 
Then  Randy  drew  a  long  breath. 

"Well,  I'm  going  downstairs  to  see  what's  do- 
ing," he  declared.  "If  I've  got  to  suffer  for  this, 
I  might  as  well  see  the  fun." 


WHAT  FOLLOWED  ANOTHER  TRICK        27 

"I'm  going  down,  too,"  responded  his  twin,  and 
side  by  side  they  ran  down  the  stairs,  with  Jack 
and  Fred  close  at  their  heels. 

Perhaps  it  was  poetic  justice  that  Randy,  who 
had  been  the  cause  of  this  commotion,  should  suf- 
fer the  worst  for  it.  Hardly  had  he  put  his  foot 
in  the  lower  hallway  of  the  farmhouse  when  a 
mouse,  scampering  from  a  nearby  doorway,  made 
directly  for  him.  The  boy  made  a  wild  jump 
to  step  on  the  rodent,  missed  his  footing,  and  came 
^own  flat  on  his  back.  He  landed  directly  at  the 
loot  of  the  stairs,  and  his  brother,  being  unable 
to  stop,  fell  on  top  of  him. 

"Hi!  Get  off  of  me!"  gasped  the  unfortunate 
youth.  "What  do  you  want  to  do — crack  my 
head  open?" 

"Next  time  you  go  down,  give  a  fellow  warn- 
ing," retorted  his  brother,  scrambling  to  his  feet; 
and  then  the  two  boys,  with  Jack  and  Fred,  en- 
tered the  sitting-room,  doing  this  just  as  their 
fathers  came  in  from  the  direction  of  the  kitchen 
and  just  when  old  Uncle  Randolph  made  his 
unfortunate  attack  on  the  fish-globe. 

"Hello !  look  at  the  fish  on  the  floor,"  exclaimed 
Jack.  "What's  the  matter,  Grandfather?  Did 
the  mice  upset  the  globe  ?" 

"No.  I  did  that,  trying  to  hit  one  of  the  pesky 
creatures,"  explained  old  Uncle  Randolph.  "We 


28          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

must  kill  them  some  way  or  they'll  get  all  over 
the  house,  and  then  none  of  us  will  have  any 
peace." 

"I  wouldn't  care  for  %  piece  of  mouse,  any- 
way," remarked  Andy,  but  in  such  a  low  tone 
that  none  of  the  older  folks  heard  him. 

"Everybody  get  a  stick  and  go  at  those  mice," 
commanded  Dick  Rover,  and  looked  at  the  boys 
so  sternly  they  all  began  to  feel  uncomfortable. 
"We've  got  either  to  kill  them  or  drive  them  out 
of  the  house,  otherwise  the  lady  folks  won't  be 
able  to  sleep  to-night." 

"I'll  get  a  poker  and  kill  as  many  of  'em  as  I 
can,"  cried  Randy,  and  ran  out  into  the  kitchen 
to  do  as  he  had  mentioned. 

The  other  boys,  as  well  as  their  fathers,  armed 
themselves  with  canes,  umbrellas,  and  brooms, 
and  for  the  next  fifteen  minutes  there  was  a  rapid 
and  thorough  search  for  all  of  the  rodents.  Sev- 
eral were  driven  outside  through  the  open  doors, 
while  others  were  caught  and  slaughtered  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  kitchen,  the  pantry,  and  the 
rooms  adjoining.  Then  the  goldfish  were  gath- 
ered up  and  put  into  another  bowl  of  water  and 
the  bits  of  broken  glass  were  removed. 

"I'm  awfully  sorry,  Uncle  Randy,  you  broke 
the  fish-globe,"  said  Randy,  contritely,  "but  I'm 
glad  you  saved  the  fish." 


WHAT  FOLLOWED  ANOTHER  TRICK        29 

"Look  here,  young  man,  I  want  to  talk  to  you 
— and  to  you,  too !"  cried  Tom,  sharply,  and  with- 
out more  ado  caught  each  twin  by  the  arm  and 
marched  them  into  the  library. 

"Wow!  I'm  afraid  Andy  and  Randy  are  in 
for  it  now,"  whispered  Fred  to  Jack. 

"Well,  Randy  certainly  had  no  right  to  put 
those  mice  in  the  pantry,"  answered  his  cousin. 
"Just  the  same,  I  hope  Uncle  Tom  isn't  too  severe 
with  'em." 

"I  don't  see  why  Andy  should  be  punished  for 
this." 

"Oh,  they  always  stick  together.  You  know 
that  as  well  as  I  do." 

"So  I  do.  Isn't  it  wonderful  how  each  is  will- 
ing to  share  the  blame  with  the  other?"  added 
Fred,  with  deep  admiration. 

Once  in  the  library,  Tom  Rover  shut  the  doors 
tightly  and  then  faced  his  twin  sons. 

"Now  then,  I  want  the  truth  about  this,"  he 
commenced  sternly.  "Where  did  those  mice  come 
from?" 

"They  came  from  under  the  flooring  of  the  old 
wagon  house,"  answered  Randy.  "I  caught  them 
there  when  the  carpenters  tore  up  the  floor  to  put 
down  the  new  one." 

"And  where  did  you  put  them?" 

"I  put  'em  in  a — er — a  couple  of  boxes." 


30  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Randy  was  going  to  keep  the  mice  and  try  to 
teach  'em  to  do  tricks,  just  the  same  as  those  mice 
we  once  saw  in  a  vaudeville  show,"  put  in  Andy, 
quickly,  to  do  what  he  could  to  shield  his  brother. 

"More  tricks,  eh?"  was  Tom's  dry  comment. 
"It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  nothing  but  tricks  lately. 
I  suppose  you  placed  the  boxes  in  the  pantry  just 
so  the  mice  wouldn't  catch  cold,  didn't  you?"  he 
went  on  quizzically. 

"No,  sir.  I — I — placed  'em  there  just  for  safe- 
keeping," was  the  hesitating  answer.  "I  didn't 
know  that  Lulu  would  disturb  them." 

"That's  it,  Dad.  I'm  sure  Randy  didn't  want 
'em  disturbed." 

"And  what  did  you  have  to  do  with  this, 
Andy?"  demanded  the  father. 

At  this  the  boy  addressed  had  nothing  to  say. 

"He  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  Dad,"  an- 
swered Randy.  "I  got  the  mice  and  put  'em  in 
the  two  boxes.  I  s'pose  it  wasn't  just  the  right 
thing  to  put  'em  in  the  pantry,  but  I  give  you  my 
word  I  didn't  think  they'd  be  upset  the  way  they 
were  and  be  sent  running  all  over  the  house.  If 
Lulu  hadn't  touched  the  boxes,  the  mice  would 
be  there  yet." 

"Perhaps,"  answered  Tom  Rover,  dryly.  "Just 
the  same,  I  think  you  placed  the  boxes  there  hop- 
ing that  Lulu  or  the  cook  would  have  curiosity 


WHAT  FOLLOWED  ANOTHER  TRICK        31 

enough  to  see  what  they  contained.  As  it  is,  your 
actions  have  upset  the  whole  house,  brought  on 
the  destruction  of  the  fish-globe,  and  the  cook  is 
so  upset  that  she  has  threatened  to  leave." 

"Oh,  she  won't  leave,  Dad.  She  likes  her  big 
wages  too  well,"  remarked  Andy,  quickly. 

"I  don't  know  about  that,  Son.  Nobody  is  go- 
ing to  stand  for  your  tricks  much  longer.  They 
are  getting  altogether  too  numerous."  Tom  con- 
tinued to  look  as  stern  as  possible.  "I've  got  to 
take  both  of  you  in  hand,  and  that  is  all  there  is 
to  it.  You  are  growing  wilder  every  day.  Some- 
thing has  got  to  be  done.  Now  you  go  right  up- 
stairs and  finish  dressing,  and  don't  dare  to  let  me 
hear  of  any  more  tricks  being  played  for  the  rest 
of  this  day,  otherwise  I'll  not  only  give  you  a 
sound  thrashing,  but  I'll  cut  off  your  spending 
money  and  do  several  other  things  that  you  won't 
like ;"  and,  thus  speaking,  the  father  of  the  twins 
opened  the  door  to  the  hall  and  shoved  them  both 
out  towards  the  stairs  with  more  force  than  they 
had  felt  for  some  time.  The  two  lads  lost  no  time 
in  retiring  to  their  bedroom. 

"Say,  Randy,  I  think  you  got  off  rather  easily," 
remarked  Andy,  when  they  were  alone. 

"I  think  so  myself,"  was  the  quick  response. 
"I  thought  Dad  would  be  so  mad  that  he  would 
give  me  one  everlasting  licking." 


32          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Say!  how  did  you  make  out?"  questioned 
Fred,  eagerly,  as  he  came  sneaking  in,  followed 
by  Jack. 

"You  don't  look  as  if  you  had  suffered  very 
much,"  was  Jack's  comment.  "I  thought  you'd 
come  out  looking  as  if  you'd  been  through  a 
threshing  machine." 

What  Randy  and  Andy  had  to  tell  was  quickly 
related.  At  the  conclusion,  Jack,  who  being 
somewhat  older  than  any  of  the  others,  was 
looked  upon  as  something  of  a  leader,  shook  his 
head  thoughtfully. 

"I  guess  we  had  better  pull  in  our  horns  a  lit- 
tle, for  a  while  at  least,"  was  his  conclusion.  "My 
father  was  mighty  mad,  too,  and  so  was  Fred's. 
If  we  don't  look  out,  we'll  all  get  in  wrong.  They 
didn't  like  that  wetting  business  to  start  with." 

While  the  boys  were  finishing  their  toilet  and 
discussing  the  matter,  their  fathers  were  doing 
what  they  could  to  set  matters  to  rights  down- 
stairs, and  to  pacify  their  Aunt  Martha  and  also 
the  cook  and  the  hired  girl.  The  cook  was  par- 
ticularly wrought  up. 

"It  ain't  the  first  time  nor  the  second  time  nor 
the  third  time  that  them  boys  have  played  tricks 
on  us,"  she  declared.  "It's  been  nothin'  but  one 
thing  or  'nother  ever  since  they  came  here — and 
last  Summer  it  was  the  same  way.  The  first 


WHAT  FOLLOWED  ANOTHER  TRICK        33 

thing  you  know,  they'll  be  doin'  somethin'  awful, 
and  some  of  us'll  get  hurt.  I  think  I  had  better 
leave." 

"If  she  leaves,  I'll  leave  too,"  declared  the  hired 
girl. 

''Don't  think  of  leaving,"  said  Tom  Rover. 
"I'll  take  those  boys  in  hand  and  see  to  it  that 
they  don't  bother  you  any  more.  If  they  do  the 
least  thing,  I'll  pack  them  back  to  our  house  in 
New  York."  And  after  a  little  more  talk  he  suc- 
ceeded in  mollifying  the  cook  and  the  hired  girl 
to  such  an  extent  that  they  went  back  to  their 
work.  Then  the  fathers  of  the  boys  withdrew 
once  more  to  the  library. 

"I  don't  know  how  you  feel  about  it,"  began 
Tom,  after  he  had  picked  up  his  comic  paper  once 
more  and  then  thrown  it  aside  in  disgust.  "I 
begin  to  think  that  the  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to 
pack  those  twins  off  to  Colby  Hall." 

"I  don't  know  but  what  I  agree  with  you, 
Tom,"  answered  Sam.  "And  if  you  do  send 
them,  I  think  Fred  might  as  well  go  along." 

"Yes;  and  Jack  also,"  added  Dick.  "Those 
boys  will  never  want  to  be  separated,  and  I  don't 
know  that  we  could  do  better  than  to  place  them 
under  Larry  Colby's  care,  especially  if  we  let 
Larry  know  just  how  wild  they  are  apt  to  be  and 
tell  him  to  take  them  in  hand." 


34 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


"Yes ;  I'd  want  Larry  to  know  all  about  them," 
answered  Tom.  "And  I'd  want  him  to  give  me 
his  word  that  he'd  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  Andy  and 
Randy  and  punish  them  severely  every  time  they 
broke  any  of  the  rules.  It's  the  only  way  to  bring 
them  up  properly." 

"All  right  then,  Tom.  If  you  think  that  way 
and  Dick  thinks  the  same,  let's  get  right  down  to 
business  and  send  a  letter  to  Larry  Colby  to- 
night," said  Sam. 

"But  what  of  the  boys'  mothers?"  questioned 
Dick  Rover.  He  knew  that  his  wife  Dora  would 
grieve  considerably  over  having  young  Jack  leave 
home. 

"We'll  have  to  explain  the  situation  to  them 
and  get  them  to  agree,"  answered  Tom,  firmly. 


CHAPTER  IV 

JACK   IN    WALL   STREET 

"JusT  to  think,  Jack !  a  week  from  to-day  we'll 
be  on  our  way  to  Colby  Hall  Military  Academy." 

"Yes,  Fred.  Doesn't  it  seem  wonderful?  I 
do  hope  we'll  find  the  school  to  our  liking,"  re- 
turned Jack,  with  a  serious  look  on  his  face.  "It 
would  be  too  bad  to  go  to  some  punk  school." 

"Oh,  you  can  be  sure  that  the  school  is  all 
right ;  otherwise  our  fathers  wouldn't  have  picked 
it  out  for  us,"  broke  in  Andy.  "They  know  what 
a  good  military  academy  is.  Didn't  they  go  to 
that  famous  old  Putnam  Hall?" 

"I  wish  we  could  have  gone  to  Putnam  Hall," 
added  Randy.  "From  what  dad  has  told  me,  it 
must  have  been  one  dandy  school." 

"Well,  we  can't  go  to  something  that  ain't," 
,  answered  his  twin  with  a  grin.  "Putnam  Hall 
doesn't  exist  any  more.  When  it  burnt  to  the 
ground,  Captain  Putnam  felt  too  old  to  have  it 
rebuilt,  and  so  he  settled  with  the  insurance  com- 
panies and  retired." 

35 


36          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Gee!  but  won't  we  have  dandy  times  if  that 
school  is  what  we  hope  for  ?"  cried  Andy.  "We'll 
make  things  hum,  won't  we?" 

"Right  you  are!"  came  in  a  chorus  from  the 
others.  And  then,  in  sudden  high  spirits,  the 
boys  began  to  wrestle  with  each  other,  ending 
up  with  something  of  a  pillow  fight  in  which 
not  only  pillows  but  also  bolsters  and  numerous 
other  articles  were  used  as  missiles. 

After  a  never-to-be-forgotten  vacation  at  Val- 
ley Brook  Farm,  the  boys,  along  with  their  sis- 
ters and  their  parents,  had  returned  to  their 
homes  in  New  York  City.  The  Summer  was  al- 
most at  an  end,  and  schools  all  over  were  open- 
ing for  the  Fall  and  Winter  term. 

it  had  been  no  easy  task  for  Dick,  Tom,  and 
Sam  Rover  to  convince  their  wives  that  it  would 
be  best  to  send  the  boys  to  some  strict  boarding 
school  instead  of  to  the  private  school  which  they 
had  been  attending  in  the  metropolis.  Gentle 
Dora  Rover  had  cried  a  little  at  the  thought  of 
having  her  only  son  Jack  leave  home,  and  Grace 
Rover  had  been  affected  the  same  way  at  the| 
thought  of  parting  from  her  only  boy  Fred. 

"But  both  of  you  will  be  better  off  than  I  shall    « 
be,"  had  been  Nellie  Rover's  comment.     "Each 
of  you  will  have  a  daughter  still  at  home,  while 
both  of  my  twins  will  be  gone  and  I'll  have  no- 


JACK  IN  WALL  STREET  37 

body;"  and  her  eyes,  too,  had  filled  with  tears. 

But  with  it  all,  the  mothers  were  sensible 
women,  and  they  agreed  with  their  husbands  that 
the  boys  needed  to  be  placed  under  strict  dis- 
cipline and  that  this  was  not  possible  at  the  school 
which  they  had  been  attending. 

"That  school  is  altogether  too  fashionable/* 
had  been  Dick  Rover's  comment.  "They  make 
regular  dudes  of  the  pupils  and  they  think  more 
of  high  collars  and  neckties  and  patent-leather 
shoes  than  they  do  of  reading,  writing  and  arith-- 
metic.  Now,  I  want  Jack  to  get  a  good  educa- 
tion and  I  want  him  to  learn  how  to  behave  him- 
self while  he  is  getting  it."  And  so,  after  sev- 
eral communications  had  passed  between  the 
Rovers  and  Colonel  Lawrence  Colby,  it  was  set- 
tled that  the  boys  should  be  enlisted  as  cadets  at 
Colby  Hall. 

"Cease  firing!"  cried  Jack,  when  there  came  a 
lull  in  the  pillow  fight.  "The  first  thing  you  know 
somebody  will  come  in  here  and  we'll  be  in  hot 
water  again."  The  boys  were  up  in  Jack's  bed- 
room, and  all  of  their  mothers  were  downstairs, 
talking  over  the  question  of  the  wardrobes  the 
lads  were  to  take  along  to  school. 

"All  right,  Commodore,"  answered  Andy, 
gaily.  "Out  of  the  trenches,  boys;  the  war  is 
over!" 


38          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Suits  me,"  panted  Randy,  who  was  all  out  of 
wind  from  his  exertions.  "Melt  the  cannons  into 
telephones  and  send  messages  to  the  girls  that  the 
soldier  boys  are  coming  home,"  and  at  this  re- 
mark there  was  a  short  laugh.  Then  all  the  boys 
proceeded  to  make  themselves  comfortable  in  va- 
rious attitudes  around  the  bedroom. 

"Say !  I'm  glad  of  one  thing,"  remarked  Fred ; 
"and  that  is,  we  won't  be  utter  strangers  at  Colby 
Hall.  Spouter  Powell  will  be  there  and  so  will 
Gif  Garrison." 

It  may  be  as  well  to  explain  here  that  Spouter 
Powell,  whose  real  first  name  was  Richard,  was 
the  son  of  the  Rovers'  old  friend,  John  Powell, 
commonly  called  Songbird.  Richard  Powell  did 
not  seem  to  have  much  of  his  father's  ability  to 
write  verse,  but  he  did  have  a  great  fondness  for 
making  speeches,  whence  had  come  his  nickname 
of  Spouter. 

Gifford  Garrison,  always  called  Gif  for  short, 
was  the  son  of  the  Rovers'  old  schoolmate,  Fred 
Garrison,  after  whom  Fred  Rover  had  been 
named.  Gif  was  a  big,  strong  youth  who  doted 
on  athletic  sports  of  all  kinds.  Both  Gif  and 
Spouter  had  visited  the  Rover  boys  on  a  num- 
ber of  occasions,  and  consequently  all  of  the  lads 
were  well  acquainted. 

"Yes,  I'll  be  glad  to  meet  Gif  and  Spouter," 


JACK  IN  WALL  STREET  39 

returned  Jack.     "I  like  them  both,  even  though 
Spouter  gets  pretty  talky  sometimes." 

Just  then  there  sounded  downstairs  a  post- 
man's whistle,  and  a  minute  later  Martha  Rover 
came  upstairs. 

"Here's  a  letter  for  you,  Jack,"  said  his  sister, 
holding  it  out. 

"Thanks,"  he  returned,  as  he  took  the  com- 
munication and  glanced  at  it.  "Why!  what  do 
you  know  about  this  ?  Here  we  were  just  talking 
about  Gif  and  Spouter,  and  here  is  a  letter  from 
Gif  now,"  he  cried. 

"Wonder  what  he's  got  to  say,"  remarked 
Fred,  and  then,  as  he  saw  his  cousin  lingering  at 
the  doorway,  he  added :  "Don't  you  want  to  come 
in,  Martha,  and  join  us  ?" 

"No,  thank  you,"  she  returned.  "I'm  going 
out  with  Mary.  We're  going  to  buy  some  things 
for  you  boys  to  take  along  when  you  go  to  that 
boarding  school." 

"Oh,  I  know  what  those  will  be,"  burst  out 
Andy,  gaily.  "Pink  neckties  with  yellow  dots,  or 
nice  red  socks  with  blue  rings  around  'em." 

"Oh,  the  idea !"  burst  out  the  girl.  "What  an 
eye  for  color  you  have !" 

"Well,  maybe  it  was  blue  socks  with  red  rings 
around  'em,"  went  on  Andy,  innocently;  "and 
maybe  the  pink  neckties  will  be  plain  yellow.*' 


40  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  C [)LBY  HALL 

"Oh,  Cousin  Andy!  I  think  you're  just  the 
worst  ever!"  shrieked  Martha,  and  then  ran 
downstairs  to  join  those  below. 

In  the  meantime,  Jack  had  torn  open  the  let- 
ter and  was  scanning  it  hastily. 

"Don't  be  selfish!"  burst  out  Fred,  curiously. 
"If  Gif  has  anything  to  say  about  that  school, 
let  us  hear  it." 

"Sure.  I'll  read  it  out  loud,"  answered  his 
cousin. 

The  communication,  which  was  a  rather  long 
one,  was  of  the  usual  boyish  type,  and  much  of 
it  was  of  no  particular  interest.  Several  para- 
graphs, however,  may  be  quoted  here. 

"You  will  be  interested  to  know  that  besides 
Spouter  Powell  there  will  be  another  boy  here 
who  may  or  may  not  join  our  set.  The  fellow's 
name  is  Walter  Baxter,  and  he  is  the  son  of  Dan 
Baxter,  the  man  who,  years  ago,  caused  your 
father  and  your  tmcles  so  much  trouble  at  Put- 
nam Hall  and  other  places.  Baxter  is  very 
hot-tempered  and  willing  to  fight  almost  any 
time. 

"When  I  get  back  to  school  I  am  going  in  for 
athletics,  particularly  football  this  Fall,  and  I 
hope  some  of  you  fellows  will  want  to  go  into 
athletics,  too,  for  it  will  make  it  more  interesting 


JACK  IN  WALL  STREET  41 

to  have  some  friends  on  the  eleven.  Spouter 
don't  go  in  for  that  sort  of  thing.  He  likes  to 
save  his  wind  for  talk." 

"Hum !  that's  rather  interesting,"  was  Randy's 
comment.  "I  wonder  if  this  Walt  Baxter  will 
try  to  make  trouble  for  us  like  his  father  did  for 
our  fathers?" 

"Well,  if  he  does,  I  guess  we  can  take  care 
of  him,  just  as  our  folks  took  care  of  his  father," 
returned  his  twin. 

"No  use  borrowing  trouble,"  came  from  Fred. 
"I've  heard  from  my  dad  that  Mr.  Dan  Baxter 
has  reformed  and  is  now  a  first-class  business 
man  and  is  quite  prosperous.  It  may  be  that 
while  his  son  Walt  is  somewhat  hot-tempered,  he 
may  still  be  a  thoroughly  good  fellow.  I  wouldn't 
give  a  rap  for  a  boy  that  didn't  show  some  spirit 
once  in  a  while." 

On  the  following  morning  Jack  was  on  the 
point  of  going  over  to  Fred's  house  to  return 
some  books  he  had  borrowed,  when  his  father 
called  to  him. 

"I  want  you  to  go  down  to  our  offices  with  me 
this  morning,  Jack,"  said  Dick  Rover.  "I've  got 
a  package  there  that  I  meant  to  bring  up  for  your 
mother.  You  can  come  right  back  with  it." 

"All  right,  Dad.    I'll  be  with  you  in  a  minute," 


42  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

answered  the  son,  and  ran  off  to  deliver  the  books 
and  to  let  Fred,  as  well  as  Randy  and  Andy,  knaw 
where  he  was  going. 

Jack's  temperament  was  a  good  deal  like  that 
of  his  father,  and,  young  as  he  was,  he  already 
took  an  interest  in  what  was  being  done  in  the 
offices  of  The  Rover  Company.  On  more  than 
one  occasion  he  had  begged  his  parent's  permis- 
sion to  visit  the  place  on  Wall  Street,  and  once 
had  been  granted  a  "look-in"  at  the  Stock  Ex- 
change during  one  of  its  busiest  sessions.  That 
sight  was  one  he  had  never  forgotten. 

When  the  Rovers  had  first  opened  up  in  Wall 
Street,  they  had  taken  possession  of  a  set  of 
rather  shabby  offices  formerly  occupied  by  an- 
other firm  with  which  they  had  had  various  diffi- 
culties, the  particulars  of  which  were  related  in 
"The  Rover  Boys  in  New  York"  and  "The  Rover 
Boys  in  Business."  Now,  however,  they  occupied 
the  entire  fourth  floor  of  another  building  in  a 
much  better  location.  There  was  a  large  general 
office  and  a  counting  room,  and  a  private  office 
for  each  of  the  three  brothers.  Their  office  help 
numbered  about  twenty;  and  when  business  was 
brisk,  the  place  consequently  was  a  decidedly  busy 
one. 

When  the  offices  of  The  Rover  Company  were 
reached,  Dick  Rover  brought  out  the  package  in- 


JACK  IN  WALL  STREET  43 

tended  for  his  wife.  It  was  quite  a  bundle,  and 
not  wrapped  as  well  as  it  might  have  been. 

"You'd  better  let  the  office  boy  put  an  extra 
string  around  that,  Jack,"  said  the  father. 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,  Dad.  I  can  get  it  home 
just  as  it  is.  There  won't  be  much  of  a  crowd 
on  the  subway  train  going  uptown  this  time  of 
day." 

Jack  spent  a  few  minutes  in  the  offices,  speak- 
ing to  the  office  boy  and  to  several  of  the  clerks 
with  whom  he  was  acquainted,  and  then  started 
off  for  home,  the  bundle  under  his  arm.  He  came 
down  by  one  of  the  several  elevators  to  the  lower 
corridor  of  the  building,  and  there  stood  in  the 
wide-open  doorway,  contemplating  the  bustle  in 
the  narrow  street  beyond.  Wall  Street  is  the 
financial  heart  of  our  nation,  and  the  activity 
there  during  business  hours  is  something  tre- 
mendous. 

As  Jack  stood  with  his  bundle  under  his  arm, 
his  attention  was  suddenly  attracted  to  what  was 
going  on  close  by,  beyond  several  columns  which 
formed  a  part  of  the  entrance  to  the  building. 
In  a  niche  of  the  wall  stood  a  peddler,  a  short, 
sallow-faced  and  hollow-eyed  man,  evidently  of 
foreign  birth,  trying  to  sell  some  cheap  wares 
displayed  on  a  little  three-legged  stand  which  he 
had  set  up.  In  front  of  the  peddler  stood  a  tall, 


44 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


slim,  overbearing  boy,  loudly  dressed  and  wear« 
ing  light-colored  spats  and  gloves  to  match. 

"You've  got  no  right  to  plank  yourself  here!" 
cried  the  overbearing  boy  savagely.  "You  get  out 
of  here  or  I'll  dump  that  trash  of  yours  into  the 
street." 

"Please,  Mister,  I  am  a  poor  man,"  pleaded  the 
peddler  in  very  broken  English.  "Please,  Mis- 
ter, you  buy  somet'in'  ?" 

"You  get  out,  I  tell  you!"  went  on  the  tall 
youth  with  a  very  lordly  air.  "Get  out,  I  tell 
you!  You  foreigners  are  all  thieves!  Get  out 
of  here!"  And  without  further  warning  he 
caught  the  thin,  little  peddler  by  the  shoulder  and 
gave  him  such  a  shove  that  the  man  had  all  he 
could  do  to  keep  from  falling  and  from  upsetting 
his  little  stock  in  trade. 


CHAPTER  V 

GETTING   READY   TO   LEAVE 

"THE  mean  fellow !" 

Such  was  Jack's  exclamation  as  he  witnessed 
the  scene  between  the  hollow-eyed  little  street 
peddler  and  the  dudish,  overbearing  youth  who 
had  attacked  him. 

"Get  out,  I  tell  you!"  repeated  the  overbear- 
ing boy,  as  the  peddler  straightened  up  and 
caught  hold  of  his  little  stand  to  keep  it  from 
tumbling  over.  "I've  a  big  mind  to  kick  your 
stuff  into  the  street  for  you." 

"Let  up  there,  you  big  boob!"  cried  Jack,  and 
without  stopping  to  think  twice  he  leaped  towards 
the  other  youth  and  caught  him  firmly  by  the 
arm. 

The  boy  who  had  attacked  the  peddler  had  not 
expected  such  interference,  and  he  whirled  around 
greatly  surprised,  especially  when  he  saw  a  boy 
smaller  than  himself  confronting  him. 

"What — what  do  you  mean  by  catching  hold  of 
me  this  way?"  he  stammered. 

45 


46          TH£  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Why  can't  you  leave  that  poor  peddler  alone  ?" 
retorted  Jack. 

"What  business  is  this  of  yours?" 

"That  chap  wasn't  doing  any  harm  here  so 
far  as  I  can  see.  He's  only  trying  to  earn  his 
living." 

"See  here,  kid !  this  is  none  of  your  affair,  and 
I  want  you  to  keep  out  of  it,"  stormed  the  dud- 
ish-looking  youth.  "We  don't  allow  those  fel- 
lows around  this  building." 

"Then  you  tell  him  to  move  on  in  a  decent 
kind  of  way,"  returned  Jack. 

"I'll  do  as  I  please."  The  big  boy  turned 
again  towards  the  peddler  and  made  a  motion  as 
if  to  push  both  the  man  and  his  stand  down,  but, 
instantly,  Jack  caught  hold  of  him  again  and 
pulled  him  back,  shoving  him  in  between  two  pil- 
lars of  the  building's  entrance. 

"You  had  better  go  on,"  said  Jack  to  the  ped- 
dler, and,  evidently  much  frightened  by  what  was 
occurring,  the  little  man  took  up  his  stand  and 
disappeared  as  if  by  magic  in  the  crowd  on  the 
street. 

"Say!  you've  got  gall  to  interfere  with  me!" 
burst  out  the  big  youth,  glaring  at  Jack.  "I'll 
teach  you  a  lesson ;"  and  with  a  sudden  move  he 
pulled  Jack's  bundle  from  under  his  arm  and 
threw  it  out  into  the  street.  "Now  you  go  about 


GETTING  READY  TO  LEAVE  47 

your  business  and  don't  you  interfere  with  me 
again." 

To  have  the  bundle  belonging  to  his  mother 
treated  in  that  fashion  made  the  young  Rover's 
blood  boil.  He  jumped  at  the  big  youth,  and  as 
the  other  aimed  a  blow  at  him  he  dodged  and 
then  caught  his  opponent  by  the  ear. 

"Ouch!  Let  go!"  screamed  the  big  youth  in 
sudden  p?in,  and  then  he  landed  a  blow  on  Jack's 
shoulder  and  received  a  crack  on  the  chin  in 
return. 

How  far  this  encounter  might  have  gone,  it 
is  hard  to  say,  but  at  that  moment,  while  a  crowd 
was  beginning  to  gather,  there  came  a  sudden  in- 
ter ruptio  i  in  the  appearance  of  Jack's  Uncle  Tom, 
followed  by  his  Uncle  Sam. 

"Hello!  What  does  this  mean?"  demanded 
Tom  Rcver,  as  he  stepped  between  the  two  boys. 

"It  means  that  I've  got  an  account  to  settle 
with  that  young  snip,  Mr.  Rover!"  cried  the  big 
youth  savagely  and  giving  Jack  a  look  full  of 
hatred. 

"Uncle  Tom,  that  fellow  is  nothing  but  a 
brute,"  declared  Jack. 

"A  brute  ?    What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"He  just  attacked  a  poor  little  peddler  who 
was  trying  to  sell  a  few  things  from  a  stand  here 
in  the  corner.  He  tried  to  knock  the  peddler 


48          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

down  and  upset  his  stand.  I  told  him  to  sfep 
and  then  he  attacked  me." 

"Humph!  Are  you  this  boy's  uncle,  Mr. 
Rover?"  asked  the  big  youth,  in  surprise. 

"I  am,  Martell." 

"Then  I  want  to  tell  you  that  he  has  no  right 
to  interfere  with  me,"  went  on  Napoleon  Mar- 
tell,  uglily.  "Those  peddlers  are  always  hang- 
ing around  here  and  my  opinion  is  they  are  all 
thieves." 

"That  fellow  was  no  more  a  thief  than  you 
are,"  broke  in  Jack,  sturdily. 

"Ha !    Do  you  mean  to  call  me  a  thief  ?" 

"Come,  Jack,  such  talk  won't  do  down  here  in 
Wall  Street,"  remonstrated  his  Uncle  Sam,  who 
had  listened  closely  to  what  had  been  said.  Sam 
Rover,  from  a  distance,  had  seen  the  bundle  flung 
into  the  gutter  and  had  picked  it  up.  Both  the 
wrapping  and  the  string  were  broken,  but  the 
contents  of  the  package  seemed  to  be  uninjured. 

"If  that  kid  is  your  nephew,  you  had  better 
take  him  in  hand,"  grumbled  Napoleon  Martell, 
and  then,  not  wishing  to  have  any  more  words 
with  the  two  older  Rovers,  he  broke  through  the 
crowd  which  had  gathered  and  hurried  up  the 
street. 

"Come  into  the  building,"  ordered  Tom  Rover 
to  Jack,  for  the  crowd  was  getting  denser  every 


GETTING  READY  TO  LEAVE  49 

instant ;  boys  and  men  who  had  been  hurrying  by 
stopped  to  find  out  what  was  the  matter. 

"I  guess  I'll  have  to  go  back  to  get  that  bundle 
tied  up  again,"  answered  Jack.  The  encounter 
had  excited  him  not  a  little.  "Uncle  Tom,  that 
fellow  seemed  to  know  you?" 

"Yes,  I  know  that  boy.  His  name  is  Napoleon 
Martell,  although  they  call  him  Nappy  for  short 
He  is  the  son  of  Nelson  Martell,  one  of  our  ri- 
vals in  business,  a  man  who  occupies  the  floor 
above  us  in  this  building." 

"I  didn't  know  Nappy  was  much  of  a  scrap- 
per," was  Sam  Rover's  comment.  "I  thought  he 
was  too  much  of  a  dude  to  fight." 

"He  certainly  is  a  dude  as  far  as  appearances 
go,"  answered  Jack;  "but  he  has  the  manner  of 
a  brute.  I  wish  now  I'd  had  the  chance  to  give 
him  a  good  licking,"  he  went  on  heartily. 

"You  had  better  go  slow  when  it  comes  to 
fighting,"  returned  his  uncle.  "A  fight  seldom 
settles  anything." 

"Didn't  you  ever  have  any  fights,  Uncle  Sam?" 

At  this  direct  question  Sam  Rover's  face  be- 
came a  study  while  his  brother  Tom  looked  at' 
him  rather  quizzically. 

"Yes!  I  had  my  share  of  fights  when  I  was 
a  boy,"  admitted  the  uncle.  "But,  looking  back, 
I  think  a  good  many  of  them  might  have  been 


5o          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

avoided.  Of  course,  I  expect  a  boy  to  take  his 
own  part  and  not  be  a  coward.  But  a  fight  isn't 
always  the  best  way  to  settle  a  difficulty." 

Once  back  in  the  offices,  Jack  did  not  hesitate 
to  tell  his  father  about  what  had  happened.  In 
the  meantime,  an  office  boy  rewrapped  the  bun- 
dle, securing  it  this  time  with  a  stout  cord. 

"I  am  sorry  to  hear  about  this  trouble,  Jack," 
said  his  father  seriously.  "I  don't  want  you  to 
grow  up  into  a  scrapper." 

"But,  Dad,  I  couldn't  stand  by  and  see  that 
fellow  abuse  a  poor  little  peddler  like  that,"  an- 
swered the  son.  "It  wasn't  fair  at  all!  What 
right  had  that  Nappy  Martell  to  order  the  man 
away?" 

"No  right,  that  I  know  of,  Jack,  except  that 
Mr.  Martell  owns  some  stock  in  the  company  that 
owns  this  building ;  but  that  would  be  a  very  far- 
fetched right  at  the  best." 

"I  guess  those  Martells  are  all  tarred  from  the 
same  stick,"  was  Tom  Rover's  comment.  "The 
father  is  just  as  overbearing  as  the  son." 

"Do  you  know  what  I'm  inclined  to  think?" 
remarked  Sam  Rover,  as  he  walked  over  and 
closed  the  door  to  the  outer  office  so  that  the 
clerks  might  not  hear  what  was  said.  "I'm  in- 
clined to  think  that  Nelson  Martell  is  a  good 
deal  of  a  crook." 


GETTING  READY  TO  LEAVE  5* 

"And  that's  just  my  idea  of  the  man,  too," 
added  Tom  Rover.  "What  do  you  think,  Dick  ?" 

At  this  direct  question  the  oldest  of  the  three 
brothers  pursed  up  his  lips  in  concentrated 
thought. 

"To  tell  the  truth,  I  don't  know  exactly  what 
to  think,"  he  answered  slowly.  "Some  of  the 
things  that  Nelson  Martell  is  trying  to  put 
through  are  certainly  rather  shady.  Still,  they 
may  be  within  the  strict  letter  of  the  law,  and  if 
that  is  so  it  would  hardly  be  fair  to  call  the  man 
a  crook." 

When  Jack  returned  home,  he,  of  course,  told 
his  cousins  of  his  encounter  at  the  entrance  to  the 
office  building. 

"It's  a  pity  you  didn't  have  a  chance  to  give 
Martell  one  in  the  eye  or  in  the  nose,"  was  Ran- 
dy's comment.  "Such  a  brute  deserves  to  be 
hauled  down  a  peg  or  two." 

"Well,  I  rather  think  I  gave  his  ear  a  pretty 
good  twist,"  answered  Jack,  grinning. 

"You  ought  to  have  made  him  pick  up  that 
bundle  he  flung  into  the  gutter,"  added  Fred. 

"I  couldn't  do  much  of  anything  with  the 
crowd  gathering  around.  My!  how  the  people 
do  flock  together  when  the  least  thing  happens! 
If  we  had  stayed  there  another  minute  or  two,  we 
might  have  had  a  thousand  people  around  us." 


52  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

With  so  many  things  to  be  thought  of  and 
done  previous  to  the  departure  for  Colby  Hall, 
the  subject  of  Nappy  Martell  was  soon  dismissed. 
All  the  boys  were  wondering  what  they  had  better 
put  in  their  trunks  and  suitcases. 

"Gee !  I've  got  enough  stuff  planned  out  to  fill 
five  trunks,"  declared  Randy.  "I  want  to  take 
all  my  clothing,  and  my  fishing  outfit,  and  my 
football  and  baseball  togs,  and  my  gym  suit,  and 
I'd  like  to  take  along  my  dumbbells,  and  my  physi- 
cal culture  exerciser,  and  maybe  a  shotgun,  and 
that  favorite  paddle  of  mine,  and " 

"And  about  five  thousand  other  things,"  fin- 
ished his  twin.  "I'm  in  the  same  boat.  But  we've 
simply  got  to  cut  down  and  take  only  the  things 
that  are  actually  necessary." 

"We  won't  need  any  baseball  things  during 
this  term,"  declared  Jack.  "The  Fall  is  the  time 
for  football — not  baseball.  And  say!  we  don't 
want  to  forget  our  skates.  There's  a  river  up 
there  and  also  a  lake;  so  if  the  winter  gets  cold 
enough  there  ought  to  be  some  dandy  skating." 

"Yes.  And  if  the  lake  is  large  enough  there 
ought  to  be  a  chance  for  some  ice-boating,"  added 
Fred. 

At  last,  with  the  aid  of  their  parents,  the  four 
boys  got  their  trunks  and  suitcases  packed.  They 
were  to  leave  home  for  Colby  Hall  on  Wednes- 


GETTING  READY  TO  LEAVE       53 

day  morning,  and  on  Tuesday  evening  their  folks 
gave  them  a  little  send-off  in  the  shape  of  a  party 
given  at  Dick  Rover's  residence.  At  this  gath- 
ering many  of  their  boy  friends  were  present, 
as  well  as  a  number  of  girls  along  with  Mary  and 
Martha.  All  of  the  young  folks  had  an  exceed- 
ingly pleasant  time,  which  was  kept  up  until  mid- 
night. 

"And  now  for  Colby  Hall!"  exclaimed  Jack, 
after  the  party  had  come  to  an  end. 

"That's  it,"  returned  Fred.  "Colby  Hall  and 
the  best  times  ever !" 

"So  say  we  all  of  us !"  came  from  the  twins. 


CHAPTER  VI 
ON  THE  TRAIN 

"READY?" 

"I've  been  ready  for  the  last  half  hour." 

"So  have  I.  Come  on,  if  we're  going  to 
catch  that  train." 

"Yes,  boys,  you  don't  want  to  miss  the  train," 
came  from  Mrs.  Dick  Rover.  She  gazed  at  Jack 
fondly.  "Oh,  dear !  how  I  hate  to  have  you  go !" 

"And  how  I  do  hate  to  see  Fred  leave !"  sighed 
Mrs.  Sam  Rover. 

"And  my  twins!"  murmured  Tom's  wife.  "I 
suppose  they'll  be  getting  into  all  sorts  of  mischief 
at  that  boarding  school." 

"Oh,  Ma !  we're  going  to  be  regular  little  lambs 
there,"  declared  Andy. 

"Just  you  wait  and  see  what  fine  records  we 
send  home,"  added  his  twin. 

"The  automobiles  are  waiting,  boys,"  broke  in 
Dick  Rover.  "Come.  The  train  is  due  to  leave 
in  twenty  minutes,  and  you  know  how  crowded 
traffic  is  around  the  Grand  Central  Terminal." 

54 


ON  THE  TRAIN  55 

There  were  hasty  good-byes,  a  number  of 
kisses  and  words  of  cheer,  and  then  the  four  boys 
left  their  mothers  and  the  girls  and  ran  down  to 
where  two  automobiles  were  standing  at  the  curb. 
The  twins  and  their  father  leaped  into  one,  and 
Jack  and  Fred  and  their  fathers  into  the  other, 
and  in  a  moment  more  the  two  machines  were 
gliding  down  Riverside  Drive  on  the  way  to  the 
Grand  Central  Terminal  at  Forty-second  Street. 

It  was  a  perfect  autumn  day,  and  all  four  of 
the  lads  were  in  the  best  of  spirits.  To  be  sure, 
the  fact  that  they  were  leaving  home  to  be  gone 
for  several  months  sobered  them  a  trifle ;  but  all 
were  eager  to  find  out  what  was  in  store  for  them 
rather  than  to  give  thought  to  what  had  been  left 
behind. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  there  was  a  per- 
fect jam  of  automobiles  and  carriages  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  Terminal,  and  as  a  consequence  the 
lads  had  barely  time  to  get  aboard  the  train  which 
was  to  carry  them  to  Haven  Point,  the  town  on 
the  outskirts  of  which  Colby  Hall  was  located. 

"Take  care  of  yourselves!"  cried  Dick  Rover. 

"Learn  all  you  can,"  added  his  brother  Sam. 

"And  go  slow  on  mischief,"  warned  Tom. 

"We'll  remember  everything,"  came  in  a 
chorus  from  the  four  boys;  and  then,  as  they 
waved  their  hands  to  their  parents,  the  long  train 


56  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

pulled  out  of  the  big,  gloomy  station  and  the  trip 
to  the  boarding  school  was  begun. 

Haven  Point  was  located  in  the  heart  of  New 
England,  so  that  the  boys  had  a  ride  of  several 
hours  ahead  of  them.  They  had  seats  in  a  parlor 
car,  two  on  one  side  and  two  on  the  other,  and 
they  proceeded  without  delay  to  make  themselves 
comfortable,  the  porter  aiding  them  in  disposing 
of  their  handbaggage. 

"Good-bye  to  old  New  York!"  cried  Jack. 
"Won't  we  have  a  lot  of  things  to  talk  about 
when  we  get  back !" 

"I'm  just  crazy  to  see  Colby  Hall,  to  find  out 
what  it  really  looks  like,"  said  Andy. 

"That  picture  we  had  of  it  looked  pretty  good," 
was  Fred's  comment.  "But,  of  course,  you  can't 
Always  tell  by  a  picture." 

"Not  much!"  vouchsafed  Randy.  "A  build- 
ing may  look  all  right  enough  in  a  picture  and 
still  be  about  ready  to  tumble  down." 

The  boys  had  left  home  in  the  middle  of  the 
forenoon,  and  expected  to  have  their  lunch  on  the 
train  before  reaching  Haven  Point. 

"When  lunch  time  comes  I'm  going  to  fill  up," 
declared  Andy.  "No  telling  what  sort  of  grub 
we'll  get  at  the  Hall." 

"Father  said  they  used  to  have  first-class  eats 
at  Putnam  Hall,"  declared  Fred. 


ON  THE  TRAIN  57 

"Not  always!"  cried  Jack.  "At  one  time, 
while  Captain  Putnam  was  away,  the  food  got  so 
bad  there  that  the  cadets  rebelled  and  left  the 
school." 

"Oh,  that  was  before  our  fathers  went  to  Put- 
nam Hall,"  answered  Randy.  "I  heard  about 
that,  too.  But  while  our  fathers  were  there,  the 
food  was  very  good,  indeed." 

After  about  half  an  hour's  ride  the  train  halted 
at  a  station,  and  among  the  passengers  to  get 
aboard  were  two  youths  with  suitcases. 

"Hello!  what  do  you  know  about  this?"  cried 
Jack,  surprised.  "If  there  isn't  Spouter  Powell.1 
I  wonder  what  he  is  doing  down  here.  He  doesn't 
live  in  this  town." 

"And  look  at  the  fellow  who  is  with  him!" 
burst  out  Fred.  "Did  you  ever  see  such  a  fat 
chap  in  your  life?" 

"Oh,  say !  I'll  bet  I  know  who  that  fellow  is," 
declared  Randy.  "It  must  be  Spouter's  friend, 
Will  Hendry.  Spouter  told  me  about  him.  They 
call  him  Fatty." 

"And  he  fits  his  name,"  declared  Randy, 
"Here  they  come  now.  They  must  have  seats 
in  this  car." 

Spouter  Powell,  a  tall,  thin  youth  with  a  mass 
of  wavy,  black  hair  overhanging  his  forehead, 
and  wearing  a  small  cap  well  back  on  hfs  head, 


58          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

strode  forward  towards  them.  Behind  him  came 
the  fat  youth,  struggling  with  a  suitcase  and  puf- 
fing audibly. 

"Hello,  you  Rover  boys !"  sang  out  the  son  of 
Songbird  Powell,  cheerfully.  "I  thought  you 
might  be  on  this  train." 

"Glad  to  see  you,  Spouter.  How  are  you?" 
returned  Jack,  grasping  his  hand  cordially.  "Got 
a  little  friend  with  you,  I  see." 

"Exactly!  My  chum,  Will  Hendry.  Fatty, 
these  are  the  Rover  boys.  This  is  Jack,  this  is 
Fred,  and  these  two  little  innocent  lambs  are  the 
twins,  Andy  and  Randy." 

"Glad  to  know  you,"  came  from  all,  and  a 
general  handshaking  followed. 

It  was  found  that  the  new  arrivals  had  twe» 
seats  at  the  other  end  of  the  parlor  car ;  but  there 
were  other  seats  vacant  near  the  Rover  boys,  and 
an  exchange  for  these  was  quickly  made  through 
the  Pullman  conductor. 

"Say !  they  don't  make  you  pay  extra  fare,  do 
they  ?"  queried  Andy,  as  he  looked  at  Fatty  Hen- 
dry  doing  his  best  to  squeeze  into  one  of  the 
chairs. 

"Not  yet.  But  I  don't  know  what  I'm  coming 
to,"  puffed  the  stout  youth.  "Seems  to  me  I'm 
taking  on  about  a  pound  a  day,"  he  added,  dole- 
fully. 


ON  THE  TRAIN  & 

"Maybe  you  eat  too  much,"  suggested  Randy, 
"Why  don't  you  cut  down  on  your  victuals  ?" 

"Eat  too  much !"  puffed  Will  Hendry.  "I  don't 
eat  half  as  much  as  some  of  you  slim  fellows. 
Why,  Spouter  here  eats  twice  as  much  as  I  do !" 

"Yes.  But  see  the  exercise  I  take,"  answered 
Dick  Powell.  "I  walk  at  least  five  miles  to  your 
one.  And  I  spend  lots  of  time  in  the  gym,  too— 
something  that  you  cut  out  entirely." 

"Well,  wliat  would  I  be  doing  in  the  gym?" 
demanded  the  fat  youth.  "If  I  got  up  on  the  rings 
or  the  bars,  I'd  pull  the  whole  blamed  business 
down  to  the  ground;5"  and  at  this  remark  there 
was  a  general  snicker. 

Spouter  Powell  explained  that  he  had  been  vis- 
iting Will  Hendry,  who  lived  in  the  town  where 
the  two  had  boarded  the  train.  He  had  been  at 
Colby  Hall  ever  since  its  opening,  and  he  had 
much  to  tell  about  the  school  and  those  who  at- 
tended it. 

"Oh,  I'm  sure  you'll  like  it,"  declared  Spouter, 
growing  eloquent.  "It's  so  delightfully  situated 
on  a  hill  overlooking  the  river,  and  is  surrounded 
by  stately  trees  and  a  well-kept  campus.  The 
scene  from  the  front  is  exceedinly  picturesque, 
while  to  the  back  the  woods  stretch  out  for  many 
miles.  Soon,  when  the  frost  touches  the  leaves, 
the  hues  and  colors  will  be  magnificent.  The 


60          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

sparkle  of  the  sunlight  glinting  across  the 
water " 

"Wow!  Spouter  is  off  again!"  puffed  Fatty 
Hendry.  "I  told  you  to  be  careful,"  he  pleaded. 

"I  was  only  acquainting  them  with  the  beauties 
of  Colby  Hall,"  remonstrated  Spouter.  "When 
one  comes  to  contemplate  nature,  it's  necessary 
to  understand  what  real  harmony " 

"Exactly,  exactly !  Just  so !"  burst  out  Andy. 
"We  understand  what  you  mean,  Spouter.  But 
please  remember  the  scenery  is  there — it  won't 
move — and  we'll  have  lots  of  time  to  look  at  it.*' 

"Tell  us  about  the  boys  who  go  there — and  the 
teachers,"  broke  in  Randy. 

"Yes.     The  teachers  especially,"  added  Fred. 

"Is  there  any  hard-hearted  fellow — like  that 
Josiah  Crabtree  our  folks  tell  about?" 

"We've  got  one  fellow  there — Professor  Asa 
Lemm — that  nobody  likes,"  answered  Spouter. 
"He's  a  language  teacher.  They  say  he  was  once 
quite  well  off,  and  he  constantly  laments  the  loss 
of  his  wealth." 

"And  being  poor  now,  he  tries  to  take  it  out 
on  every  pupil  who  comes  under  him,"  finished 
Fatty  Hendry.  "Oh,  Asa  is  a  lemon,  believe  me !" 

"Well,  you  know  what  lemons  grow  for," 
commented  Andy,  mischievously.  "They  af» 
taised  to  be  squeezed." 


Off  THE  TRAIN  6l 

"And  maybe  we'll  have  to  squeeze  Mr.  Asa 
Lemm — the  lemon,"  added  his  twin. 

"Then  all  the  other  profs  are  perfectly  good 
fellows  ?"  questioned  Jack. 

"Oh,  yes !  Captain  Dale,  our  military  instruc- 
tor, is  one  of  the  nicest  men  I  ever  met,  and  so  are 
Professors  Grawson  and  Brice.  The  others  don't 
seem  to  cut  much  ice  one  way  or  the  other." 

"Tell  us  something  about  the  cadets." 

"Any  bullies  there  ?"  queried  Fred. 

"Yes;  we've  got  one  bully  all  right  enough," 
answered  Spouter.  "Slogwell  Brown  is  his 
name,  but  everybody  calls  him  Slugger.  He's 
from  the  country,  but  he  thinks  he  knows  it  all 
and  is  very  overbearing.  You've  got  to  keep  your 
eye  open  for  Slugger  or  you'll  get  into  trouble 
sure." 

"Thanks.  I  suppose  we'd  better  give  Mr.  Slug- 
ger Brown  a  wide  berth,"  remarked  Fred,  dryly. 

"I  don't  think  I'll  let  him  ride  over  me,"  an- 
swered Jack,  determinedly. 

"Then,  there  is  Walter  Baxter.  He  isn't  a  half 
bad  sort,  although  he's  pretty  hot-tempered.  He 
had  a  room  directly  opposite  Ned  Lowe,  who 
plays  the  mandolin  and  is  quite  a  singer.  About 
sixty  of  the  old  scholars  are  coming  back,  and 
then  there  will  be  quite  a  bunch  of  new  ffiUfmui. — 
not  less  than  twenty,  I've  been  told." 


62  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Gif  Garrison  wrote  to  us  and  spoke  about 
football,"  went  on  Jack.  "I  suppose  they  have 
some  pretty  good  games  up  there?" 

"Sure.     We  always  have  our  regular  eleven 

i  and  a  scrub  eleven,  and,  besides  that,  we  have  two 

'  or  three  games  with  rival  schools.    Gif  was  at  the 

head  of  the  football  eleven  last  season,  and  I 

suppose  he'll  be  at  the  head  this  year,  although 

Slugger  Brown  would  like  that  place." 

So  the  talk  ran  on,  the  Rover  boys  gaining  quite 
a  little  information  concerning  the  school  to  which 
they  were  bound.  Then  the  porter  came  through 
the  car  announcing  the  first  call  for  lunch. 

"Say !  let's  go  and  have  something  to  eat,"  cried 
Will  Hendry,  struggling  to  his  feet. 

"I  thought  you  were  going  on  a  diet,"  re- 
marked Andy,  mischievously. 

"Sure.  But  I'm  going  to  have  something  just 
the  same,"  answered  the  fat  boy.  "Come  on  if 
you  are  going  to  the  dining  car.  If  you  wait  too 
long,  you  won't  be  able  to  get  a  seat." 

"My!  I  shouldn't  think  he'd  want  anything  to 
eat  for  a  month,"  whispered  Fred  to  Spouter. 

"Don't  you  believe  a  word  of  what  Fatty  says 
about  cutting  down  on  his  food,"  returned  the 
other  in  a  low  voice.  "He  eats  just  as  much  as 
anyone.  That's  what  makes  him  so  fat." 

Possessed  of  the  full  appetites  of  growing  boys. 


ON  THE  TRAIN  63 

the  Rovers  were  not  loth  to  follow  the  fat  youth 
and  Spouter  into  the  dining  car,  which,  to  their 
surprise,  was  almost  full. 

"We'll  have  to  have  a  table  for  four  and  an- 
other table  for  two,"  remarked  Jack  to  the  head 
waiter.  "Do  you  think  you  can  find  that  many 
places  ?" 

"Come  this  way,"  was  the  reply ;  and  the  party 
of  six  started  for  the  other  end  of  the  dining 
car.  They  were  about  to  take  the  seats  assigned 
to  them  by  the  head  waiter,  when  a  very  fussy 
man,  accompanied  by  another  man,  pushed  for- 
ward to  crowd  in  at  one  of  the  vacant  tables. 

"Say!  that's  pretty  cheeky,"  declared  Randy. 
"Now  I  don't  know  where  we  are  going  to  sit." 

"I'll  fix  you  up  on  the  other  side  of  the  car," 
said  the  head  waiter.  The  appearance  of  the  boys 
had  rather  pleased  him,  while  he  did  not  like  the 
actions  of  the  fussy  man  and  his  companion  at 
all. 

Spouter  and  his  fat  chum  were  behind  the 
Rovers,  so  they  did  not  see  the  face  of  the  fussy 
individual  who  had  deprived  the  lads  of  one  of 
the  seats.  They  sat  down  on  the  other  side  of 
the  aisle,  and  the  Rover  boys  spread  themselves 
around  as  best  they  could. 

Fred  and  Jack  had  just  sat  down  and  Randy 
was  doing  likewise,  when  one  of  the  waiters 


64          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

came  through  the  swaying  car  carrying  a  tray 
filled  with  eatables.  Suddenly  the  car  gave  an 
extra  lurch,  and  Andy  was  thrown  up  against 
the  waiter  in  such  a  manner  that  the  tray  tilted 
from  the  colored  man's  hand,  and  an  instant  later 
the  contents  of  a  large  platter  containing  a  broiled 
steak  with  some  French-fried  potatoes  was  de- 
posited over  the  neck  and  shoulders  of  the  fussy 
man  in  the  seat  near  by. 

"Oh!"  roared  the  man,  starting  up  in  great 
anger.  "What  do  you  mean  by  this?  What  do 
you  mean,  I  say?"  lie  shrilled. 

At  the  sound  of  this  voice,  Spouter  Powell  and 
Fatty  Hendry  looked  up  in  sudden  wonder. 
Then,  as  some  of  the  Rover  boys  commenced  to 
laugh  over  the  mishap,  Spouter  clutched  Jack  by 
the  arm. 

"That  man  is  Professor  Asa  Lemm !"  he  whis- 
pered. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A   SCENE   IN   THE   DINING   CAR 

"You  don't  mean  it!"  gasped  Jack.  "The 
lemon  of  a  professor  we  were  just  talking  about?" 

"That's  it!" 

"Then  i'm  afraid  Andy  has  gotten  himself  into 
trouble  right  at  the  start." 

"It  wasn't  his  fault.  It  was  the  lurching  of 
the  train  did  it,"  put  in  Fred. 

"Just  the  same,  I'd  hate  to  be  in  your  cousin's 
shoes,"  was  Fatty  Hendry's  comment. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  waiter,  by  a  lightning- 
like  move,  had  managed  to  save  the  broiled  steak 
from  slipping  to  the  floor  of  the  dining  car.  He 
now  had  it  on  the  platter,  but  the  French-fried 
potatoes  were  scattered  in  all  directions. 

"What  do  you  mean,  I  say?"  repeated  Profes- 
sor Asa  Lemm  in  a  loud,  harsh  voice. 

"Scuse  it,  boss,"  answered  the  waiter  humbly. 
"  'Twas  the  swingin'  o'  de  car  what  done  it.  Be- 
sides, one  o*  dem  passengers  knocked  agin  my 
arm." 

6s 


66          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"I  think  it  was  that  boy's  fault  quite  as  much 
as  the  waiter's,"  came  from  the  man  who  was 
accompanying  Professor  Lemm. 

"I  couldn't  help  it,"  answered  Andy.  "The 
car  gave  such  a  sudden  lurch  that  I  was  almost 
thrown  off  my  feet." 

"We'll  fix  this  all  up,  sir,"  broke  in  the  head 
waiter,  coming  to  the  front.  "Take  that  steak 
back  to  the  kitchen  and  bring  some  more  pota- 
toes," he  added  to  the  waiter.  "I  am  glad  to  say 
it  hasn't  mussed  you  up  very  much;"  and  he 
lianded  the  professor  a  fingerbowl  full  of  water 
and  an  extra  napkin. 

A  number  of  passengers  had  witnessed  the  ac- 
cident and  were  smiling  broadly.  Spouter  and 
Fatty  Hendry  were  also  on  a  broad  grin,  but  their 
faces  took  on  a  sudden  sober  look  when  they 
found  Asa  Lemm's  gaze  directed  toward  them. 

"Ha !  so  you  are  here,"  was  the  teacher's  com- 
ment. "What  business  have  you  to  laugh?" 

"Excuse  me,  Professor  Lemm,  I — I — didn't — 
er — mean  anything,"  stammered  Spouter. 

"Sorry  it  happened,  very  sorry,"  puffed  Fatty. 

"Is  this  young  man  traveling  with  you?"  de- 
manded Asa  Lemm,  suddenly,  as  he  looked  from 
Spouter  and  Fatty  to  Andy. 

"Y — yes — sir,"  answered  the  son  of  Songbird 
Powell. 


THE  TRAY  TILTED  FROM  THE  COLORED  MAN'S  HAND. 
The  Rmjer  Boys  at  Col>>y  Hall.         •  Page  64 


A  SCENE  IN  THE  DINING  CAR  fy 

"Hum !    Is  he  bound  for  the  Hall  ?" 

"Y— yes— sir." 

"Indeed?  Then  perhaps  I'll  see  all  of  you 
later,"  muttered  Asa  Lemm;  and  after  that  did 
what  he  could  with  the  aid  of  some  water  and  a 
napkin  to  remove  the  traces  of  the  accident  from 
his  person.  In  this  he  was  aided  by  the  head 
waiter,  who  was  profuse  in  his  apologies  over 
what  had  occurred. 

*Tm  afraid  you've  got  yourself  into  a  pickle, 
Andy,"  whispered  his  twin,  when  the  latter  had 
taken  his  seat  at  the  table. 

"I  don't  care.  I  didn't  mean  to  do  it.  It  was 
an  accident.  Besides  that,  I  think  the  waiter  was 
as  much  to  blame  as  I  was." 

"You'll  never  make  old  Lemon  believe  that," 
returned  Spouter. 

"Spouter's  right  about  that,"  puffed  out  Fatty. 
"Once  Asa  Lemm  gets  down  on  a  boy — good 
night!" 

"I  wonder  who  the  man  with  him  is?"  ques- 
tioned Spouter. 

"Maybe  it's  a  new  teacher,"  vouchsafed  Jack, 

"I  don't  think  so,"  returned  Randy.  "I  heard 
both  of  them  talking  about  some  lawsuit  and 
about  money  matters.  Maybe  the  other  fellow 
is  a  lawyer." 

"I  guess  you're  right,"  said  Spouter.     "As  I 


68          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

told  you  before,  old  Lemon  used  to  be  worth  a 
lot  of  money.  Since  he  lost  it  he  has  been  having 
one  lawsuit  after  another  trying  to  get  some  of  it 
back.  Most  likely  the  other  fellow  is  his  lawyer." 
And  in  this  surmise  Spouter  was  correct. 

The  accident  had  sobered  all  the  boys,  con- 
sequently the  lunch  was  not  near  so  lively  as  it 
might  otherwise  have  been.  Still  the  irrepressi- 
ble Randy  could  not  hold  back  altogether,  and  he 
got  what  little  sport  he  could  out  of  it  by  putting 
some  red  pepper  on  Fatty's  last  mouthful  of  pie. 
He  used  a  liberal  dose,  and  the  pie  had  scarcely 
disappeared  within  the  stout  youth's  mouth  when 
the  boy  began  to  splutter. 

"Ug — ug — ugh !"  came  from  Fatty  as  he  made 
a  wry  face.  "What  pie!  That  last  mouthful 
was  like  fire — full  of  pepper!" 

"I  thought  the  pie  was  rather  hot,"  answered 
Randy,  coolly. 

"Hot!  It's  nothing  but  pep  all  the  way 
through!"  roared  the  fat  boy.  "Wow!  let  me 
have  some  water!"  and  he  gulped  this  down  so 
hastily  that  he  almost  strangled,  the  tears  run- 
ning down  his  cheeks.  The  other  boys  set  up  a 
laugh. 

The  boys  had  had  some  celery  served  with  their 
lunch  and  several  stalks  which  were  not  particu- 
larly good  still  remained  in  the  dish  on  the  table. 


A  SCENE  IN  THE  DINING  CAR  69 

When  the  boys  were  ready  to  leave,  Professor 
Asa  Lemm  and  his  companion  were  still  at  their 
table  discussing  the  particulars  of  a  coming  law- 
suit. 

"I'll  give  'em  something  to  remember  us  by 
anyhow,"  whispered  Andy  to  the  chums  when  the 
party  had  arisen  to  leave  the  dining  car ;  and  be- 
fore any  of  the  others  could  stop  him  he  took  up 
the  stalks  of  celery  and  on  passing  Asa  Lemm 
dropped  them  in  the  professor's  side  pocket,  leav- 
ing the  tops  dangling  outside. 

"Gee!  but  you're  some  funny  boy,"  chuckled 
Fatty,  gazing  at  Andy  in  admiration.  "I  wish  I 
could  think  of  things  like  that  to  do." 

"You'll  think  of  'em  some  day — when  you  get 
thin,"  returned  Andy,  encouragingly.  "You  see, 
I  wanted  to  give  him  a  bouquet  to  remember  me 
by;"  and  at  this  remark  there  was  a  general 
snicker.  Two  or  three  of  the  passengers  in  the 
car  had  noticed  Andy's  action  and  all  were  smil- 
ing broadly  over  the  incident. 

"If  he  ever  finds  out  who  did  that,  he'll  be 
down  on  you  worse  than  ever,"  declared  Jack, 
when  the  boys  were  once  more  in  the  chair  car. 

"Oh,  well,  what's  the  difference?"  returned 
the  light-hearted  Andy.  "I'd  just  as  lief  be  shot 
for  a  mule  as  for  a  hoptoad." 

"I  suppose  he's  going  on  to  the  Hall,"  re- 


»,«.  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

marked  Spouter.  "If  he  is,  I  hope  he  doesn't  get 
into  the  auto-stage  with  us." 

"If  he  gets  in  the  auto-stage,  we  might  hire  a 
jitney,"  suggested  Fatty.  "There  are  six  of  us, 
and  we  could  get  one  of  the  jitneys  to  take  us 
over  to  the  Hall,  baggage  and  all,  for  half  a  dol- 
lar." 

A  little  later  the  train  made  a  stop  of  several 
minutes  at  quite  a  large  city.  The  boys  were  tired 
of  sitting  still  and  were  glad  enough  to  go  out  on 
the  platform  to  stretch  their  legs.  Here  they  saw 
Professor  Lemm  and  his  friend  leave  the  train 
and  walk  up  the  main  street  of  the  place. 

"Hurrah!  we  won't  be  bothered  with  him  any 
more  on  this  trip,"  declared  Spouter. 

"Look!"  cried  Randy,  suddenly,  pointing  to 
the  two  men ;  and  as  the  boys  gazed  in  that  direc- 
tion they  were  just  in  time  to  see  Asa  Lemm  pull 
the  stalks  of  celery  from  his  pocket  and  throw 
them  in  the  street.  His  whole  manner  showed 
that  he  was  much  disgusted. 

"And  to  think  he  has  thrown  away  your  beau- 
tiful bouquet,  Andy,"  lamented  Fred. 

"Never  mind,  Fred;  we  have  to  get  used  to 
keen  disappointments  in  this  life,"  groaned  Andy. 

"Won't  he  be  coming  back  ?"  questioned  Fatty. 

"I  don't  think  so — he  won't  have  time,"  an- 
swered Jack;  "here  comes  the  conductor  now/' 


A  SCENE  IN  THE  DINING  CAR  ji 

"All  aboard!"  shouted  the  conductor  at  that 
moment,  and  the  boys  had  to  hurry  in  order  not 
to  be  left  behind.  Then  the  train  pulled  out  of 
the  station  and  the  journey  was  contined. 

"We  certainly  ought  to  have  some  dandy 
times,"  said  Jack  to  Spouter,  as  the  train  sped 
along.  "I  suppose  your  father  has  told  you  of 
all  the  good  times  our  folks  had  when  they  went 
to  Putnam  Hall  and  Brill  College." 

"Yes,  Jack.  That  is,  he  has  told  me  about  a 
good  many  things.  Of  course  I  don't  suppose 
he  told  me  about  some  of  the  tricks  they  played." 

"Well,  I've  heard  from  father  and  from  my 
Uncle  Sam  that  my  Uncle  Tom  was  playing  tricks 
almost  continually." 

"Then  Andy  and  Randy  come  by  their  fun- 
making  naturally." 

"They  sure  do !  And  what  do  you  suppose  the 
folks  at  home  expect  me  to  do?"  went  on  Jack, 
seriously.  "They  expect  me  to  hold  those  twins 
in.  Why!  a  fellow  could  no  more  do  that  than 
hold  in  a  pair  of  wild  horses.  You've  seen  a  little 
of  what  Andy  can  do.  Well,  his  jokes  aren't  a 
patch  to  those  Randy  occasionally  gets  off." 

"You  don't  say!  Well,  I'm  not  sorry.  The 
last  term  at  Colby  Hall  was  rather  slow.  Now 
maybe  we'll  have  some  life,*"  and  Spouter's  face 
lightened. 


72  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

While  the  boys  had  been  at  lunch  the  sky  had 
darkened,  and  now  the  train  rushed  into  a  sud- 
den heavy  shower,  the  rain  driving  against  the 
windows  of  the  car  in  sheets. 

"I  don't  like  this  much,"  said  Fred,  dolefully. 
"Maybe  we'll  get  out  at  Haven  Point  in  a  regu- 
lar downpour." 

"Oh,  this  looks  more  like  a  local  shower  than 
anything  else,"  answered  Jack.  "We  may  run 
out  of  it  in  a  few  minutes." 

"Some  rain,  all  right,"  remarked  Randy,  as 
the  water  continued  to  dash  against  the  win- 
dows. 

"Just  look  there!"  cried  Andy,  pointing  out. 
"Before  it  began  to  rain  I  noticed  the  automobiles 
Dn  yonder  road  kicking  up  quite  a  dust.  Now 
just  look  at  the  water  and  mud." 

"We'll  be  at  Haven  Point  in  twenty  minutes — 
that  is,  if  the  train  is  on  time,"  announced 
Spouter,  consulting  his  watch.  "Too  bad!  Be- 
cause I  wanted  you  to  see  the  beautiful  scenery 
with  which  the  school  is  surrounded.  Oh!  the 
woods  are  perfectly  beautiful,  and  after  a  heavy 
rain  the  torrent  of  water  coming  down  the  river 
makes  the  outlook  one  of  marvelous  beauty.  I 
have  stood  there  contemplating  the  scene " 

"Turn  it  off,  Spouter!  turn  it  off!"  broke  in 
Fatty.  "You  promised  me  on  your  bare  knees 


A  SCENE  IN  THE  DINING  CAR  73 

that  you  would  stop  spouting  about  nature  this 
term — and  here  you  start  in  the  first  thing!" 

"Oh,  you  haven't  any  more  eye  for  beauty  than 
a  cow,"  retorted  Spouter,  ruefully. 

"Why  abuse  the  cow  ?"  questioned  Andy,  gaily. 
"A  cow  has  an  eye  for  beauty.  Just  you  hold 
out  a  beautiful  red  apple  to  her  and  see  if  she 
hasn't;"  and  at  this  the  others  grinned. 

Haven  Point  was  still  five  miles  away  when 
the  boys  saw  that  the  rain  was  letting  up;  but 
the  ditches  along  the  track,  and  the  highways 
wherever  they  passed  them,  were  filled  with  run- 
ning water,  showing  that  the  downpour  in  that 
vicinity  had  been  a  severe  one. 

"Next  station  Haven  Point !"  called  out  one  of 
the  trainmen  as  he  came  through  the  car. 

"Better  get  your  bags  ready,"  cried  Spouter. 
There  may  be  other  fellows  going  to  the  Hall, 
and  we  want  to  get  good  seats  on  the  auto-stage 
if  we  can." 

"All  right.  You  lead  on,  Spouter,"  answered 
Jack;  "we'll  follow  you," 

In  a  few  minutes  more  Haven  Point  was 
reached  and  the  long  train  rolled  into  the  little 
station.  One  after  another  the  boys  alighted,  the 
porter  helping  them  with  their  suitcases  and  gladly 
accepting  the  tips  they  offered. 

Spouter  headed  for  a  large  auto-stage  drawn 


74          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

up  on  the  opposite  side  of  an  open  plot  behind 
the  station.  As  the  Rovers  and  their  friends 
started  for  the  turnout  belonging  to  Colby  Hall, 
they  noticed  that  several  other  boys  had  also  left 
another  coach  of  the  train  and  were  headed  in 
the  same  direction. 

"New  fellows,  like  ourselves,  I  suppose,"  re- 
marked Fred.  "Let's  get  ahead  of  'em." 

"That's  the  talk !"  exclaimed  Randy.  "Come 
on !"  and  he  set  off  on  a  run  beside  Spouter  with 
the  others  at  their  heels. 

The  rain  had  been  falling  heavily  at  Haven 
Point  just  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  train, 
and  consequently  the  open  place  behind  the  depot 
contained  numerous  hollows  of  water  and  mud, 
around  which  the  boys  had  to  make  their  way  as 
best  they  could.  They  were  rushing  along  as  fast 
as  their  handbaggage  would  permit,  when  they 
came  up  side  by  side  with  three  other  lads  also 
bound  for  the  stage. 

"Look  out  there!"  cried  Jack  as  one  of  the 
strangers  leaped  into  a  puddle  of  water,  splash- 
ing the  mud  right  and  left. 

"Look  out  yourself !"  cried  the  other  youth,  a 
big  lad,  much  larger  than  any  of  the  others. 

"That's  Slugger  Brown — the  bully  I  was  tell- 
ing you  about,"  explained  Spouter  as  he  con- 
tinued to  run. 


A  SCENE  IN  THE  DINING  CAR  75 

Directly  behind  Slugger  Brown  came  another 
youth,  loudly  dressed  in  a  checkered  suit  and  a 
soft  checkered  hat  to  match.  He  was  rather  fas- 
tidious as  to  where  he  stepped,  and  with  his  eyes 
on  the  ground  ran  directly  into  Fred. 

"Hi !  look  where  you  are  going !"  cried  the 
youngest  of  the  Rover  boys,  and  then,  to  keep 
himself  from  slipping  down,  made  a  clutch  at 
Randy's  arm.  This  brought  Randy  around,  and 
both  he  and  Fred  bumped  into  the  elegantly  at- 
tired youth. 

"Stop  that!"  cried  the  stranger,  and  then,  see- 
ing a  puddle  directly  in  front  of  him,  attempted 
to  leap  over  it.  But  his  foot  slipped  in  the  mud 
and  down  he  went  flat  on  his  back  with  a  loud 
splash. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

AT   COLBY   HALL 

"My!  look  at  that!" 

"Some  tumble  that,  eh?" 

"Why!  he  sent  some  of  that  water  and  mud 
over  me !" 

Such  were  some  of  the  exclamations  as  the 
loudly-dressed  youth  went  down  in  the  puddle 
of  water  and  mud. 

He  was  flat  on  his  back,  and  it  took  several 
seconds  for  him  to  turn  over  and  get  to  his  feet. 
The  fall  had  attracted  the  attention  of  everybody 
making  for  the  auto-stage  excepting  Spouter  and 
Jack. 

"Oh,  my  eye!  you're  certainly  a  sight  to  see," 
came  from  the  biggest  boy  in  the  crowd,  Slug- 
ger Brown. 

"It  wasn't  my  fault  that  I  fell,"  retorted  the 
unfortunate  one.  "Those  fellows  bumped  into 
me  and  made  me  lose  my  footing,"  and  he  pointed 
to  Fred  and  Randy. 

"No  such  thing!"  burst  out  Fred,  indignantly. 
76 


AT  COLBY  HALL  77 

"You  bumped  into  us  first;  and  you  only  fell 
when  you  tried  to  jump  across  the  puddle  and 
your  feet  slipped." 

"I  say  it's  your  fault !"  spluttered  the  boy  who 
had  gone  down.  His  hands  were  covered  with 
mud  and  water  and  he  stood  there  helpless,  filled 
with  rage. 

"Take  your  handkerchief  and  wipe  your  hands 
off,"  advised  Slugger  Brown.  He  looked  coldly 
at  Fred  and  Randy.  "If  they  tripped  you  up, 
they  ought  to  have  a  licking  for  doing  it." 

"That's  the  fellow  who's  responsible,"  an- 
swered the  boy  who  had  fallen,  and  he  strode  up 
to  confront  Fred.  "For  two  pins  I'd  smash  you 
on  the  nose,"  he  continued,  hotly. 

"You  leave  him  alone!"  broke  in  Randy,  and 
doubled  up  his  fists. 

The  boy  who  had  gone  down  had  expected 
Fred  to  back  away;  but  the  youngest  Rover 
bravely  stood  his  ground. 

"Say !  what's  up  back  there  ?"  queried  Spouter, 
suddenly  looking  around  to  see  why  the  other 
boys  had  not  followed  him  to  the  auto-stage. 

"Looks  to  me  as  if  somebody  was  going  to  get 
into  a  fight,"  returned  Jack.  "See!  one  of  those 
fellows  just  made  a  pass  at  Fred.  Come  on,  this 
won't  do!"  and  he  ran  back  towards  the  crowd 
that  was  gathering. 


78  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

.The  boy  who  had  fallen  had,  indeed,  made  a 
pass  with  one  of  his  dirty  fists  at  Fred,  but  the 
latter  had  dodged  the  blow  with  ease  and  now  he 
had  the  loudly  dressed  youth  by  the  arm. 

"You  behave  yourself!"  he  said  sharply.  "I 
didn't  knock  you  down,  and  you  know  it!  I'm 
sorry  you  got  yourself  all  dirty,  but  it  wasn't 
my  fault." 

"You  fight  him,  and  you'll  fight  me  too!" 
broke  in  Randy.  "If  there  is  any  blame  in  this 
it  belongs  to  me  as  much  as  to  my  cousin." 

By  this  time  Jack  had  reached  the  group  and 
pushed  his  way  to  the  front.  As  he  caught  sight 
of  the  face  of  the  boy  who  had  fallen,  he  gave 
a  quick  exclamation. 

"Well  I  never !    Nappy  Martell !" 

"Do  you  know  this  fellow?"  questioned  Andy, 
quickly. 

"I've  met  him  before,"  was  the  reply.  "He's 
Nappy  Martell — the  fellow  I  had  trouble  with  in 
front  of  the  office  m  Wall  Street — the  fellow  who 
so  mistreated  that  poor  street  peddler." 

"Oh !  So  this  is  the  same  chap,  eh  ?"  broke  out 
Randy.  "No  wonder  he  wants  to  fight  with 
Fred.  He's  a  regular  scrapper,  in  spite  of  his 
fine  clothes." 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  asked  Nappy 
Martell,  curiously,  as  he  looked  at  Jack.  Then 


AT  COLBY  HALL  79 

his  gaze  suddenly  shifted  to  Fred  and  Randy. 
"Are  you  Rovers,  too  ?" 

"We  are,"  was  the  quick  response. 

"Humph !  No  wonder  you  knocked  me  down. 
I  suppose  that  fellow  told  you  all  about  me?" 
and  Nappy  pointed  to  Jack. 

"What's  the  use  of  quarreling  about  a  little 
thing  like  a  tumble  in  the  dirt?"  panted  Fatty, 
who  was  almost  out  of  breath  because  of  his  run 
towards  the  auto-stage.  "Come  on!  let's  get  to 
the  Hall  and  see  who  is  there." 

"I'm  not  anxious  to  fight,"  answered  Fred, 
readily;  "but  I  don't  like  this  fellow's  talk." 

"I'll  talk  as  I  please,"  blustered  Martell.  "And 
I'll  fight,  too,  if  I  want  to." 

"That's  the  talk,  Nappy!"  came  from  Slugger 
Brown.  "Don't  let  any  new  boys  lord  it  over 
you.  If  you  want  to  fight,  go  ahead." 

"I  owe  these  Rovers  one,"  muttered  the  loudly 
dressed  youth.  "I  had  a  run-in  'with  this  one 
in  New  York,"  and  he  pointed  to  Jack.  "They 
are  all  of  a  kind — too  fresh  to  live." 

"There  is  no  use  of  your  talking  that  way, 
Martell,"  broke  in  Jack.  "We  didn't  come  here 
to  scrap,  but  everyone  of  us  can  take  his  own 
part  if  it  is  necessary." 

A  perfect  war  of  words  followed,  and  the  ar- 
gument proved  so  hot  that  it  looked  as  if  there 


80  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

would  certainly  be  a  fight  with  Fred  and  Randy, 
and  possibly  some  of  the  others,  on  one  side,  and 
Nappy  Martell,  Slugger  Brown  and  one  or  two 
of  their  cronies  who  had  come  up  on  the  other. 
But  then  came  a  sudden  diversion  as  a  heavily 
built  and  military  looking  man  came  from  the 
main  street  of  the  town  and  walked  towards  them. 

"Cheese  it,  boys!"  came  from  one  of  the  lads 
present.  "Here  comes  Captain  Dale.  He'll  re- 
port us  all  if  he  knows  there's  anything  like  a 
fight  going  on." 

At  the  announcement  that  Captain  Mapes  Dale, 
who  was  the  military  instructor  at  Colby  Hall, 
was  approaching,  the  boys  who  had  attended  the 
academy  the  term  previous  fell  back  in  alarm. 
They  knew  the  captain  to  be  a  strict  disciplinarian 
who  abhored  fighting  except  in  a  military  way. 

"Well,  boys,  are  you  going  up  to  the  Hall?" 
said  the  captain  pleasantly,  as  he  came  closer. 
The  old  pupils  present  saluted  him  and  were  sa- 
luted in  return. 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Spouter.  And  then  be- 
fore any  of  the  others  could  speak  he  added: 
"Captain  Dale,  will  you  permit  me  to  introduce 
some  new  scholars  ?"  and  thereupon  he  mentioned 
the  Rover  boys'  names. 

"Glad  to  know  you,"  said  Captain  Dale,  and 
shook  hands  all  around. 


AT  COLBY  HALL  8l 

In  the  meanwhile  Nappy  Martell  had  dropped 
somewhat  in  the  background  so  that  the  military 
instructor  might  not  notice  the  soiled  condition 
of  his  clothing.  Then  one  or  two  other  new 
pupils  were  introduced,  and  the  whole  crowd  made 
for  the  auto-stage. 

The  stage  was  a  large  affair,  and  Slugger 
Brown,  Nappy  Martell  and  some  of  their  friends 
kept  to  the  front  end,  leaving  the  Rovers  and 
their  friends  together  at  the  rear,  the  captain 
and  a  professor  connected  with  the  Hall  seating 
themselves  between  the  two  factions. 

"This  row  is  only  stopped  for  the  time  being," 
whispered  Randy  to  Jack.  "I  think  that  fellow 
Martell  is  too  ugly  to  let  it  drop." 

"He's  rather  a  big  fellow  to  tackle  Fred,"  re- 
turned Jack.  "Why,  he  is  even  bigger  than  I 
am!" 

"That's  the  way  with  most  bullies,"  put  in 
Fatty.  "They  don't  feel  like  tackling  a  fellow 
of  their  size.  They  like  to  pick  out  little  chaps." 

"Oh,  don't  misunderstand  me,"  returned  the 
oldest  of  the  Rover  boys.  "Fred  may  be  small, 
but  he  is  very  strong  and  wiry,  and  he  knows 
how  to  take  care  of  himself.  But  I  shouldn't 
like  to  see  any  out  and  out  fighting — at  least  not 
so  soon.  We  don't  want  to  get  a  black  eye  before 
we  get  settled  down." 


82  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"That's  the  talk!"  came  from  Andy.  "I'd 
rather  have  some  fun  than  have  any  fighting.  I 
hope  we'll  find  the  other  fellows  at  the  Hall  more 
pleasant  than  this  Martell  and  that  great  big 
Slugger  Brown." 

"It's  queer  you  didn't  mention  Martell  to  us 
on  the  train,"  remarked  Fred. 

"I  thought  he  had  left  school,"  answered 
Spouter.  "Yon  see,  he  went  home  before  the 
term  closed  last  Spring,  and  I  didn't  know  that 
he  was  coming  back." 

"He  and  Brown  seem  to  be  pretty  thick,"  was 
Randy's  comment. 

"Yes;  they  were  always  together  last  term, 
they  and  a  fellow  named  Henry  Stowell.  Stow- 
ell  is  a  regular  little  sneak,  and  most  of  the  boys 
call  him  Codfish  on  account  of  the  awfully  broad 
mouth  he's  got." 

"Well,  there's  one  thing  sure,"  remarked  Jack ; 
"we'll  all  have  to  keep  our  eyes  open  for  Martell, 
Brown  and  Company." 

While  on  the  train  the  Rover  boys  had  learned 
that  Haven  Point  was  a  clean  and  compactly  built 
town  containing  about  two  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  was  located  at  the  head  of  Clearwater  Lake, 
a  beautiful  sheet  of  water  about  two  miles  long 
and  half  a  mile  wide  and  containing  a  number  of 
picturesque  islands.  At  the  head  of  the  lake  was 


AT  COLBY  HALL  83 

the  Rick  Rack  River,  running  down  from  the 
hills  and  woods  beyond.  Up  in  the  hills  it  was 
a  wild  and  rocky  watercourse  containing  a  num- 
ber of  dangerous  rapids,  but  where  it  passed 
Colby  Hall  it  was  a  broad  and  fairly'deep  stream, 
joining  the  lake  at  a  point  where  there  were  two 
rocky  islands.  The  distance  from  the  railroad 
station  to  the  Military  Academy  was  a  little  over 
half  a  mile,  along  a  road  branching  off  through 
the  main  street  into  a  country  highway  bordered 
on  one  side  by  the  river  and  on  the  other  by  a 
number  of  well-kept  farms,  with  here  and  there 
a  small  patch  of  timber. 

"There's  the  Hall!"  exclaimed  Spouter  pres- 
ently, after  the  auto-stage  made  a  turn  through 
a  number  of  trees  and  came  out  on  a  broad  high- 
way running  in  a  semi-circle  around  a  large  cam- 
pus. "What  do  you  think  of  the  place?  Looks 
rather  fine,  doesn't  it?" 

All  of  the  Rover  boys  gazed  eagerly  at  what 
was  before  them.  They  saw  a  large  stone  build- 
ing, shaped  almost  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  the 
upper  portion  facing  the  river.  It  was  three 
stories  in  height  and  contained  not  only  the  class- 
rooms and  mess  hall  of  the  institution,  but  also 
the  dormitories  for  the  boys.  To  one  side  was 
a  small  brick  building  which  at  one  time  had 
evidently  been  a  private  dwelling.  This  was  now 


84          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

occupied  by  Colonel  Colby  and  his  family  and  the 
various  professors.  On  the  opposite  side  was  a 
long,  low,  wooden  building. 

"That's  our  gym,"  explained  Fatty.  "You  can 
go  in  there  any  time  you  want  to,  do  a  turn  on 
the  bars,  and  break  your  neck." 

Down  at  the  water's  edge  were  several  small 
buildings  which,  Spouter  explained,  were  used 
for  storing  the  boats  belonging  to  the  Hall  and 
also  as  bathhouses.  Behind  the  Hall  were  a 
stable  and  a  barn,  and  also  a  garage.  And  still 
farther  back  were  a  vegetable  garden  and  some 
farm  fields,  for  Colonel  Colby  believed  in  rais- 
ing as  much  stuff  for  the  Hall  table  as  possible. 

"That's  the  Rick  Rack  River,"  explained 
Spouter,  as  they  passed  the  stream.  "We've  some 
dandy  times  there  swimming  and  boating." 

"Don't  you  have  skating  in  the  winter?"  quer- 
ied Andy. 

"Sure!    And  we  have  some  great  races,  too."* 

In  another  moment  the  auto-stage  drew  up 
to  the  front  door  of  Colby  Hall,  and  one  after 
another  the  boys  and  Captain  Dale  and  the  other 
teacher  alighted. 

"You  new  pupils  may  as  well  follow  me  right 
to  the  office,"  said  the  captain.  "You  can  leave 
your  suitcases  in  the  hallway  until  you  have  been 
assigned  to  your  rooms." 


AT  COLBY  HALL  85 

He  led  the  way,  and  they  followed  through  a 
large  reception  room  and  into  an  elegantly  ap- 
pointed office  where  Colonel  Colby  sat  at  a  ma- 
hogany desk,  writing. 

"Some  new  pupils,  Colonel  Colby,"  announced 
the  captain,  and  at  once  the  colonel  arose. 

"So  you  are  the  Rover  boys,  eh?"  he  said,  his 
face  lighting  up  with  pleasure.  "I  am  certainly 
very  glad  to  meet  you.  Of  course  you  know  that 
your  fathers  and  myself  were  schoolmates  for 
many  years  ?" 

"Yes,  Colonel  Colby,  we  know  that,"  replied 
Jack.  "That  is  one  reason  why  they  sent  us  here." 

"So  I  understand.  I  am  proud  to  know  that 
my  old  friends  think  so  much  of  me,"  and  the 
master  of  Colby  Hall  smiled  broadly.  "I  am 
sure  we  are  going  to  get  along  famously." 

"It  certainly  looks  like  a  nice  school,"  re- 
marked Andy,  frankly.  "I  like  it  first  rate." 

"And  so  do  I,"  added  his  twin. 

"We  hope  to  have  some  great  times  here," 
came  from  Fred. 

Then  one  after  another  the  boys  were  required 
to  sign  the  register  and  answer  a  number  of  ques- 
tions regarding  their  age  and  previous  instruction, 
and  the  state  of  their  health. 

"I'll  have  Professor  Brice  assign  you  to  your 
rooms,"  said  Colonel  Colby,  after  the  questioning 


86  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

had  come  to  an  end.  "He  has  charge  of  that  mat- 
ter so  far  as  it  concerns  the  older  boys.  The 
younger  boys  are  under  the  charge  of  Mrs. 
Crews,  the  matron." 

The  master  of  the  Hall  touched  a  bell,  and 
when  a  servant  appeared  requested  that  Profes- 
sor Brice  be  summoned.  The  latter  soon  ap- 
peared, a  young  man  evidently  just  from  college. 
He  was  introduced  to  the  boys,  and  then  took 
them  off  to  assign  them  their  rooms. 

"Hadn't  we  better  get  our  suitcases  ?"  suggested 
Jack. 

"Yes;  you  might  as  well  bring  them  along," 
answered  Professor  Paul  Brice.  "That  will  save 
another  trip  downstairs.  You  can  give  your 
trunk  checks  to  me,  and  I  will  see  that  the  trunks 
are  brought  up  from  the  station  and  placed  in 
your  rooms  to  be  unpacked.  After  you've  un- 
packed them,  they  will  be  marked  with  your 
names  and  placed  in  the  trunk  room." 

It  took  the  boys  but  a  minute  to  reach  the  end 
of  the  hallway  where  their  suitcases  had  been 
left.  Those  of  the  twins  were  still  there,  and  also 
that  belonging  to  Jack;  but  Fred's  was  missing. 

"Hello !  what's  become  of  my  suitcase  ?"  ques- 
tioned the  youngest  Rover,  anxiously. 

"Maybe  somebody  carried  it  upstairs  for  you,** 
suggested  Jack. 


AT  COLBY  HALL  87 

All  looked  around  the  hallway  and  in  the  near- 
by rooms,  but  the  suitcase  could  not  be  found. 

"Well,  I  don't  think  you  need  to  worry,"  said 
Professor  Brice  lightly.  "There  is  no  danger  of 
thieves  around  here.  Probably  some  boy  picked 
up  the  suitcase  by  mistake." 

"Maybe,"  returned  Fred;  but  then  he  looked 
at  his  cousins  and  shook  his  head  slowly. 

"I  guess  you  suspect  Nappy  Martell  and  his 
cronies,"  whispered  Randy  on  the  way  upstairs. 

"I  do!"  answered  Fred.  "I  think  they  took 
that  suitcase  to  play  a  trick  on  me." 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE   MISSING  SUITCASE 

IN  the  letters  sent  to  Colby  Hall  the  Rover  boys 
had  requested  that  they  be  placed  in  rooms  close 
to  those  occupied  by  Spouter  Powell,  Gif  Garri- 
son and  their  chums,  and  Colonel  Colby  had  re- 
plied that  he  would  do  what  he  could  for  them 
in  the  matter,  although  many  of  the  choicest 
rooms  at  the  Hall  had  already  been  assigned  to 
the  old  cadets. 

"I  can  give  you  a  choice  of  several  rooms," 
said  Professor  Brice,  as  he  led  the  way  to  the 
second  floor  of  the  school.  "Come  this  way, 
please." 

He  took  them  down  a  long  corridor  and  into 
a  wing  of  the  building. 

"This  is  our  hallway,"  whispered  Spouter  to 
Jack.  "I  guess  you'll  get  pretty  close  to  Gif  and 
me  after  all." 

Spouter  and  Gif  had  rooms  numbered  19  and 
21.  Across  the  hall,  Fatty  had  number  16.  18, 
20  and  22  were  as  yet  unassigned. 

88 


THE  MISSING  SUITCASE  89 

"I  can  give  you  these  three  rooms,"  announced 
Paul  Brice. 

"But  what  about  the  fourth?"  queried  Jack. 
"There  are  four  of  us,  you  see,  and  all  these  are 
single  rooms." 

"For  a  fourth  room  you  might  take  the  one 
next  to  that  occupied  by  Powell  on  the  other  side 
of  the  hallway,"  answered  the  teacher. 

"That  might  do,"  returned  Fred.  "But  we 
would  prefer  to  be  together — especially  as  these 
rooms  all  connect." 

"I  think  I  can  help  you  out  if  you  want  me  to," 
came  from  Fatty,  good-naturedly.  "If  Profes- 
sor Brice  is  willing,  I'll  move  over  to  number 
twenty-three,  and  that  will  give  you  four  fellows 
numbers  sixteen,  eighteen,  twenty,  and  twenty- 
two." 

"Oh,  we  don't  want  to  disturb  you,  although 
it's  very  kind  of  you  to  make  the  offer,"  remon- 
strated Jack. 

"That's  all  right,"  answered  Fatty.  "I'd  just 
as  lief  be  next  to  Spouter.  The  room  is  just  as 
good,  and  I  know  you  four  cousins  would  like 
to  keep  together."  And  so,  after  a  little  more 
talk,  the  matter  was  arranged. 

"Now  the  question  is :  How  are  we  going  to  as- 
sign these  rooms?"  came  from  Randy. 

"I've  got  an  idea,"  returned  his  twin. 


90          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"All  right ;  out  with  it!"  came  from  Fred.  "I'd 
like  to  get  settled  so  that  I  can  make  another  hunt 
for  my  missing  suitcase." 

"Why  not  live  here  just  as  we  live  on  River- 
side Drive?"  answered  Andy.  "Jack  can  take 
one  of  the  middle  rooms,  with  Fred  on  one  side 
of  him  and  Randy  and  myself  on  the  other." 

"You've  solved  it,  Andy !"  exclaimed  Jack,  and 
so  without  further  ado  the  matter  was  settled. 

"Now  I'll  institute  a  hunt  for  that  missing 
suitcase,"  said  Professor  Brice  after  he  had  made 
a  note  of  the  room  assignments.  "Most  likely 
some  boy  picked  it  up  by  mistake." 

"If  he  did  that,  why  didn't  he  leave  his  own 
suitcase  behind  ?"  queried  Fred. 

"I'll  look  it  up.  Don't  worry,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor, and  then  hurried  away,  for  there  were 
many  other  matters  demanding  his  attention. 

The  boys  found  the  rooms  small  but  pleasant. 
Each  contained  a  single  bed,  a  desk,  and  a  chif- 
fonier, and  also  a  small  clothing  closet.  In  one 
corner  was  a  bowl  with  running  water,  and  each 
room  contained  two  electric  lights.  All  of  the 
rooms  had  connecting  doors,  but  these,  for  the 
most  part,  were  kept  closed,  some  of  the  pupils 
having  their  beds  or  chiffoniers  in  front  of  them. 

"You  see,  you  are  permitted  to  arrange  your 
room  to  suit  yourselves,"  explained  Spouter,  "so 


THE  MISSING  SUITCASE  gr 

some  of  the  boys  have  them  one  way  and  some 
another.  Some  of  the  boys  are  even  permitted 
to  double  up — that  is,  put  two  of  the  beds  in  one 
room  and  use  the  other  room  exclusively  for 
dressing  and  studying." 

"That's  an  idea,"  answered  Randy.  "Maybe 
Andy  and  I  will  do  that."  This  plan  was  fol- 
lowed out  by  the  twins,  who  used  the  last  room  of 
the  four  for  a  sleeping  apartment  and  made  of 
the  other  room  a  sort  of  general  meeting  place  for 
all  of  the  Rovers. 

"Where  does  that  Nappy  Martell  hold  forth?" 
questioned  Fred  of  Fatty,  while  he  was  helping 
the  stout  youth  transfer  his  belongings  across  the 
hallway. 

"He  and  Slugger  Brown  and  Codfish  and  that 
gang  are  all  around  the  corner,  on  the  main  cor- 
ridor," was  the  reply.  "That  is,  Nappy  was  there 
last  season.  I  don't  know  whether  somebody  else 
used  his  room  after  he  left  or  not." 

"It  was  room  sixty,"  put  in  Spouter.  "Slug- 
ger has  sixty-two.  I  don't  believe  anyone  went 
into  sixty  after  Nappy  left.  You  see,  it  was  al- 
most the  end  of  the  term  and  all  the  cadets  were 
settled." 

"I'm  going  to  take  a  look  around,"  answered 
Fred.  "I  can't  do  anything  here  anyway,  with  no 
suitcase  and  no  trunk." 


92          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"I  guess  I'd  better  go  with  you,"  came  from 
Jack.  He  did  not  wish  to  allow  his  cousin  to 
interview  the  big,  over-dressed  youth  alone. 

Leaving  the  others  to  settle  down  in  the  rooms 
as  best  they  could,  Fred  and  Jack  hurried  through 
the  hallway  to  the  main  corridor  of  the  second 
floor  of  the  Hall.  Old  cadets  and  new  pupils 
were  coming  and  going  in  all  directions,  and  many 
were  the  glances  of  curiosity  directed  towards  the 
Rovers. 

"Gee!  some  of  those  fellows  certainly  look 
nifty  in  their  uniforms,"  was  Fred's  comment. 

"They  look  like  the  uniforms  our  folks  brought 
home  from  Putnam  Hall,"  answered  Jack.  "My 
father's  old  uniform  is  up  in  our  storeroom  now. 
I  tried  it  on  one  day  just  for  fun.  They  tell  me 
they  are  patterned  after  the  uniforms  worn  at 
West  Point." 

"There  goes  an  officer,"  whispered  Fred,  as  a 
tall  youth  went  by  with  a  sword  dangling  from, 
his  belt.  "Look  at  the  gold  braid,  will  you? 
Isn't  it  swell?"  he  added,  in  deep  admiration. 

"I  can  see  your  finish,  Fred,"  laughed  his 
cousin.  "If  you  stay  here,  you'll  want  to  be  an 
officer  with  a  sword,  and  with  lots  of  gold  lace." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  answered  the  young- 
est Rover,  seriously.  "I  guess  all  the  officers 
have  to  be  big  boys." 


THE  MISSING  SUITCASE  93 

"Nonsense!  Size  has  nothing  to  do  with  it. 
Why,  some  of  the  greatest  military  men  in  the 
world  have  been  very  small.  Look  at  Napoleon, 
for  instance." 

"Well,  I'll  see  about  that  later,  Jack.  Just 
now  I'd  rather  get  on  the  track  of  that  suit- 
case." 

It  did  not  take  the  two  Rovers  long  to  reach 
that  part  of  the  corridor  where  was  located  the 
room  formerly  occupied  by  Nappy  Martell.  The 
door  was  open  several  inches,  and  Fred  and  Jack 
saw  that  three  boys  were  present — Nappy,  Slug- 
ger, and  a  small,  round-faced  youth  with  a  par- 
ticularly broad  mouth. 

"That  little  chap  must  be  the  sneak  Spouter 
mentioned — the  boy  they  call  Codfish,"  whispered 
Jack. 

"That  was  a  good  joke  all  right,  Nappy,"  piped 
out  the  small  cadet,  as  the  Rovers  came  closer. 
"A  fine  joke  all  right  all  right !" 

"You  keep  your  mouth  shut  about  it,  Codfish," 
retorted  Nappy  Martell,  quickly. 

"Oh,  I  won't  say  a  word,  believe  me !"  returned 
the  other  quickly. 

Just  then  Slugger  Brown  peered  out  into  the 
hallway  and  saw  the  two  Rover  boys.  He  looked 
somewhat  startled,  and  immediately  placed  his 
hand  over  Nappy  Martell's  mouth. 


94          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"I  want  to  see  you,  Martell,"  cried  Fred  with- 
out hesitation.  "I  want  to  know  what  you  did 
with  my  suitcase." 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  your  suitcase," 
growled  the  loudly  dressed  youth  in  surly  tones. 

"Yes,  you  do !  You  took  it ;  and  I  want  you  to 
return  it,"  answered  Fred,  boldly. 

"See  here!  do  you  want  a  licking?"  burst  out 
the  New  York  boy,  as  he  doubled  up  his  fists. 
"You  deserve  one  for  the  way  you  tripped  me 
up  in  that  mud  puddle.  You  say  another  word, 
and  I'll  give  you  what's  coming  to  you,"  and  his 
manner  was  very  threatening. 

"No  use  of  fighting  here,  Nappy,"  remon- 
strated Slugger  Brown.  "Keep  it  until  some  time 
when  you  can  meet  him  outside." 

"I  didn't  come  here  to  fight,"  answered  Fred. 
"But  I  want  my  suitcase." 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  your  suitcase. 
Who  says  I  took  it?"  added  Nappy  Martell  with 
sudden  suspicion. 

"I  say  you  took  it.  There  wouldn't  be  anyone 
else  here  to  play  such  a  trick  on  me.  Now,  you 
must  hand  it  over !" 

"You  go  on  about  your  business !"  roared  the 
New  York  boy;  and  as  Fred,  followed  by  Jack, 
attempted  to  enter  the  room,  he  slammed  the  door 
in  their  faces  and  shot  the  bolt  into  place. 


THE  MISSING  SUITCASE  95, 

Fred  was  thoroughly  angry,  and  if  it  had  not 
been  for  his  cousin  he  would  have  tried  then  and 
there  to  batter  the  door  down.  But  Jack  caught 
him  by  the  arm  and  pulled  him  back. 

"No  use  of  creating  a  disturbance  so  soon," 
said  Jack.  "We'd  only  get  into  hot  water,  and 
maybe  Colonel  Colby  would  become  so  disgusted 
he  would  send  us  right  home.  If  Martell  took 
that  suitcase,  he  won't  dare  to  keep  it,  for  that 
would  be  stealing.  More  than  likely  he'll  sneak 
it  back  to  you  by  to-morrow." 

"He  ought  to  have  his  head  knocked  off  of 
him,"  muttered  the  youngest  Rover.  "Jack,  I 
feel  in  my  bones  that  that  fellow  is  going  to  cause 
us  a  lot  of  trouble." 

"I  shouldn't  wonder,"  was  the  answer.  "Re- 
member, Fred ;  he  is  as  angry  at  me  for  the  row 
we  had  down  in  Wall  Street  as  he  is  at  you  over 
that  mud-puddle  affair." 

"Oh,  dear !  And  I  thought  everything  was  go- 
ing to  be  lovely  when  we  got  here,"  sighed  Fred, 

There  seemed  nothing  else  to  do,  and  so  the 
two  boys  returned  to  where  they  had  left  the  oth- 
ers. A  little  while  later  their  trunks  came  in,  and 
all  spent  an  hour  or  more  in  unpacking  these  and 
stowing  away  the  various  articles  brought  along. 

"You'll  be  measured  for  your  uniforms  to-mor- 
row," announced  Spouter.  "And  then,  if  the 


^6          THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

school  has  the  right  sizes  on  hand,  you'll  get  them 
at  once.  Otherwise,  they'll  be  made  to  order  and 
you'll  have  to  wait  at  least  ten  days  for  them." 

"Oh,  I  hope  they've  got  my  size  in  stock !"  cried 
Andy.  "I'd  like  to  see  how  it  feels  being  a  cadet." 

"Don't  worry,"  answered  his  twin.  "I  guess 
we'll  get  enough  of  that  before  we  leave  Colby 
Hall.  Remember,  you've  got  to  learn  how  to 
drill,  and  march,  and  shoot  at  a  target,  and  all 
that." 

"I  think  it'll  be  lots  of  fun,"  broke  in  Jack. 
"My  father  told  me  he  liked  that  part  of  the  life 
at  Putnam  Hall  very  much." 

"We're  pretty  well  filled  up  here,  it  seems  to 
me,"  came  from  Fred,  as  he  sat  on  his  empty 
trunk  surveying  his  surroundings. 

"The  men  will  come  to  take  the  trunks  away  in 
a  little  while,"  answered  Fatty;  and  this  proved 
to  be  so.  With  the  trunks  gone  the  boys  had 
more  room  in  which  to  move  about,  for  which 
they  were  thankful. 

"How  about  supper?"  questioned  Andy,  pres- 
ently, as  a  bell  rang  out  sharply. 

"We  have  supper  at  six  o'clock  sharp,"  re- 
turned Fatty,  quickly. 

"Last  year  we  were  at  a  table  with  Professor 
Grawson,"  put  in  Spouter.  "He's  a  pretty  nice 
man.  I  hope  I  get  at  his  table  again." 


THE  MISSING  SUITCASE  97 

"Excuse  me  from  getting  at  a  table  with  a  man 
like  Professor  Lemm,"  burst  out  Andy.  "Gee! 
what  will  I  do  if  they  put  me  with  him?"  he  con- 
tinued dolefully. 

"Well,  you'll  have  to  sit  wherever  you  are 
placed,"  answered  Spouter. 

"And  what  do  you  care  so  long  as  you  get 
enough  to  eat?"  questioned  Fatty. 

But  Andy  shook  his  head.  He  thought  if  he 
were  placed  at  the  same  table  with  Professor  Asa 
Lemm,  it  would  be  an  actual  hardship. 


CHAPTER  X 

GETTING  ACQUAINTED 

"I  DON'T  see  him  anywhere,"  remarked  Andy, 
as  he  and  his  cousins  approached  the  mess  hall 
of  the  school. 

The  cadets  were  entering  in  little  groups  of 
twos  and  threes,  for  as  yet  the  regular  term  at 
Colby  Hall  had  not  begun.  With  the  real  open- 
ing of  the  school,  the  cadets  would  have  a  dress 
parade  previous  to  dining  and  would  then  stack 
their  arms  outside  and  march  in  in  regular  order. 

"Who  are  you  talking  about?"  questioned 
Fred. 

"Professor  Asa  Lemm.  I  don't  see  him  at  any 
of  the  tables." 

"Maybe  he  didn't  come  to  the  Hall  to-night. 
He  might  have  had  quite  some  business  to  transact 
with  that  man  who  left  the  train  with  him." 

As  there  were  more  tables  than  professors^ 
some  of  the  boards  were  presided  over  by  the 
senior  cadets.  There  was  a  little  confusion,  due 
to  the  entrance  of  so  many  new  pupils,  and  then 

98 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  99 

the  Rovers  were  assigned  to  a  table  presided  over 
by  a  senior  named  Ralph  Mason,  who  was  the 
major  of  the  school  battalion. 

"I  am  glad  to  meet  you,"  said  Major  Mason, 
as  he  shook  hands  cordially.  "I  hope  you  will 
make  yourselves  at  home,"  and  he  smiled  in  a 
manner  that  won  the  confidence  of  all  the  boys 
at  once. 

The  meal  was  a  good,  substantial  one — for 
Colonel  Colby  believed  in  setting  a  homelike  table 
— and  soon  the  clatter  of  knives  and  forks  and 
the  rattle  of  dishes  filled  the  air.  Most  of  the 
boys  had  come  in  from  long  journeys  and  were, 
consequently,  hungry,  so  but  little  was  said  while 
the  meal  progressed.  Spouter  and  Fatty  and  sev- 
eral other  boys  they  had  met  sat  at  a  table  next 
to  that  occupied  by  the  Rovers,  but  Nappy  Mar- 
tell  and  his  cronies  were  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  mess  hall,  for  which  our  friends  were  thank- 
ful. 

"I  think  if  I  had  to  look  at  the  face  of  Codfish 
while  I  was  eating,  it  would  spoil  my  appetite," 
was  Andy's  comment  during  the  meal.  "They 
ought  to  photograph  his  mouth  and  put  it  in  the 
comic  supplements." 

"YeSv  Or  else  they  ought  to  get  him  to  act  in 
some  of  the  funny  movies,"  returned  his  twin. 

As  soon  as  the  repast  was  at  an  end,  Fred 


100        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

sought  out  Professor  Brice  and  asked  him  if  any- 
thing had  been  learned  concerning  the  missing 
suitcase. 

"I  am  sorry  to  say  I  haven't  learned  anything," 
answered  the  professor,  a  troubled  look  coming 
over  his  face.  "I  really  must  say,  Rover,  I  don't 
know  what  to  make  of  it.  Do  you  suspect  anyone 
in  particular  of  having  taken  it?" 

Fred  was  on  the  point  of  mentioning  Nappy 
Martell's  name,  but  suddenly  held  himself  in 
check. 

"I  wouldn't  like  to  say  anything  about  that, 
Professor,"  he  answered  slowly.  "I  might  be  ac- 
cusing a  fellow  cadet  unfairly.  If  the  suitcase 
isn't  returned  by  to-morrow  I  may  have  some- 
thing to  say  about  it." 

"Very  well.  I  think  I  understand  how  you 
feel  about  it,"  and  the  young  professor  looked 
knowingly  at  the  boy.  "Did  you  have  much  in 
the  suitcase?" 

"Yes,  sir.  It  was  well  packed.  You  see,  I 
wasn't  sure  whether  my  trunk  would  come  right 
along,  so  I  carried  all  I  could  in  my  handbag- 
gage." 

When  Fred  joined  the  others,  all  of  the  crowd, 
led  by  Spouter,  walked  down  to  the  gymnasium. 
Here  the  Rovers  were  introduced  to  a  number  of 
other  pupils,  including  Ned  Lowe,  who  was  quite 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  IQI 

a  mandolin  player  and  also  a  good  singer,  and  a 
tall,  studious  youth  named  Dan  Soppinger. 

"Ned  is  our  great  singer,"  announced  Spouter. 
"We  expect  some  day  that  he'll  be  singing  in 
grand  opera  on  the  Metropolitan  stage." 

"Did  you  say  grand  opera  or  grand  uproar?" 
questioned  Andy,  slyly. 

"Opera,  my  boy !  Opera !"  repeated  Spouter.  "I 
expect  some  day  that  he  will  thrill  great  audiences 
with  exquisite  renderings  of  the  famous  solos  by 
Wagner,  Beethoven,  Mozart,  Donizetti " 

"Great  mackerel,  Spouter !  what  are  you  giving 
us — a  musical  directory?"  interrupted  Randy. 

"No.  I  was  only  giving  you  a  list  of  the  things 
I  expect  to  hear  Ned  sing  sooner  or  later.  Now, 
as  for  Dan  here — he  is  the  human  encyclopedia." 

"If  there  is  anything  you  don't  want  to  know, 
ask  Dan  and  he'll  be  sure  to  tell  you  all  about 
it,"  put  in  Fatty  with  a  grin.  "How  about  it, 
Dan?" 

"Say !  that's  a  fine  way  to  introduce  a  fellow," 
cried  Dan  Soppinger,  with  a  doubtful  grin  on  his 
studious  face.  "Of  course,  I'm  trying  to  learn  as 
much  as  possible,  but  there  are  a  whole  lot  of 
things  that  I  don't  know,  and  I'm  not  ashamed  to 
acknowledge  it.  But  say!  by  the  way,  can  any 
of  you  tell  me  what  the  date  was  when  Jefferson 
was  inaugurated  president?" 


102        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

At  this  question  there  came  a  sudden  groan, 
not  only  from  Fatty,  but  also  from  Spouter  and 
Ned  Lowe.  Then  with  one  voice  the  three 
shouted : 

"Down  with  him!    He's  at  it  again!" 

"I  don't  believe  any  of  you  know  the  date," 
retorted  Dan  Soppinger.  "If  you  did,  you'd  tell 
me.  I  am  writing  an  article  about  the  presidents, 
and  I've  got  to  put  that  in.  And  then,  here's  an- 
other thing.  Can  any  of  you  tell  me  who  crossed 
the  Pacific  Ocean  to " 

But  whatever  the  question  was,  it  was  never 
finished,  for  at  that  moment  Spouter,  Fatty,  Ned 
and  several  others  piled  on  Dan  Soppinger  and 
brought  him  to  the  gymnasium  floor. 

"Hi !  You  let  up !"  cried  the  victim,  squirming 
from  under  the  others  as  best  he  could.  "Can't 
a  fellow  ask  a  question  or  two  without  you  start- 
ing such  a  rough-house  as  this  ?" 

"No  questions  to  be  asked,  Dan,  until  the  reg- 
ular school  term  begins,"  answered  Spouter. 
"Then  all  you've  got  to  do  is  to  go  to  the  Rover 
boys " 

"Not  much !"  came  simultaneously  from  Andy 
and  Randy. 

"Do  you  take  us  for  a  school  library?"  ques- 
tioned Fred,  gaily. 

"I'll  answer  all  the  easy  ones,  Dan,"  said  Jack, 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  103 

good-naturedly.  "The  hard  ones  I'll  turn  over 
to  Spouter.  If  the  question  is  a  real  sensible  one, 
he'll  give  you  a  nice  little  answer — one  about 
twelve  hundred  words  long." 

"Hurrah !  Spouter  is  discovered  at  last !"  cried 
Fatty.  "Twelve  hundred  words  long  just  fits  it — 
that  is,  if  Spouter  is  in  a  hurry  to  cut  it  short." 

The  Rover  boys  were  much  interested  in  what 
was  taking  place  in  the  gymnasium,  and  they  even 
tried  out  some  of  the  bars  and  swinging  rings,  as 
well  as  one  of  the  exercising  machines. 

"This  is  certainly  an  up-to-date  institution," 
remarked  Jack.  "This  gym  couldn't  be  better." 

"How  about  the  boats?"  questioned  Randy. 
He  and  his  brother  had  owned  a  rowboat  on  the 
Hudson  River,  and  had  often  gone  out  in  the 
craft. 

"Oh,  we've  got  half  a  dozen  good  rowboats, 
as  well  as  several  racing  shells,"  answered 
Spouter.  "You'll  probably  get  a  chance  to  look 
them  over  later." 

While  the  Rover  boys  were  taking  in  the  sights 
to  be  seen  in  and  around  the  gymnasium,  their  at- 
tention was  attracted  to  a  tall,  well-formed  cadet 
who  was  doing  some  clever  work  on  one  of  the 
bars. 

"He's  doing  that  almost  as  well  as  a  circus  per- 
former," was  Fred's  comment. 


104 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


"Yes;  he's  certainly  very  graceful,"  returned 
Jack.  "I  wonder  who  he  is." 

"That  is  Walt  Baxter,"  announced  a  cadet  who 
had  heard  the  talk. 

"Walt  Baxter!"  exclaimed  Randy.  "I  won- 
der if  he  can  be  the  son  of  Dan  Baxter,  the  man 
who  made  so  much  trouble  for  our  fathers  while 
at  Putnam  Hall." 

"I'll  soon  find  out,"  returned  Jack.  "But 
please  remember — Dan  Baxter  reformed,  and 
more  than  likely  his  son  is  a  first-rate  fellow." 

As  soon  as  Walter  Baxter  had  gotten  through 
with  his  exercise  and  had  dropped  to  the  floor, 
Jack,  followed  by  his  cousins,  went  up  to  him. 

"Are  you  Walt  Baxter — the  son  of  Mr.  Daniel 
Baxter?"  he  questioned. 

"Yes,"  returned  the  other,  and  looked  at  Jack 
and  the  others  with  him  curiously. 

"I  am  Jack  Rover — the  son  of  Mr.  Richard 
Rover.  These  are  my  cousins,"  and  Jack  intro- 
duced them. 

"Oh!  is  that  so?"  answered  Walt  Baxter,  and 
shook  hands  rather  doubtfully.  "I — I — am  glad 
to  know  you,"  he  stammered. 

"And  we  are  real  glad  to  know  you,  Baxter," 
answered  Randy,  readily.  "We  heard  you  were 
at  this  school.  We  hope  that  we'll  all  be  good 
friends." 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  105 

"If  we  are  not,  it  won't  be  my  fault,"  and  now 
there  was  a  ring  of  relief  in  Walter  Baxter's 
voice.  He  lowered  his  tone  a  trifle.  "I  know 
your  fathers  did  a  lot  for  my  father,  and  I  am 
very  thankful  for  it.  If  I  can  do  anything  for 
you  fellows  here,  I'll  certainly  do  it." 

"And  we'll  do  what  we  can  for  you,  Baxter/' 
answered  Jack,  quickly. 

After  that  the  talk  became  general,  and  Walt 
Baxter  told  much  about  himself  and  the  doings 
of  the  cadets  at  Colby  Hall.  When  Nappy  Mar- 
tell's  name  was  mentioned,  he  drew  down  the  cor- 
ners of  his  mouth. 

"I  never  had  any  use  for  that  chap,"  he  de- 
clared. "Once  or  twice  my  hot  temper  got  the 
better  of  me  and  we  came  pretty  near  having  a 
fight.  But  after  that  Martell  gave  me  a  wide 
berth." 

"I  think  I've  got  Martell  to  thank  for  some- 
thing that  is  missing,"  said  Fred,  and  thereupon 
related  the  particulars  regarding  the  lost  suit- 
case. 

"Say!  I  think  I  know  something  about  that P* 
cried  Walter  Baxter,  quickly.  "Yes,  I'm  sure  I 
do!" 

"Did  you  see  Martell  take  the  suitcase?"  de- 
manded the  youngest  Rover,  quickly. 

"I  can't  say  as  to  that,  exactly.    But  I  did  sec 


106         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

Martell  sneaking  off  through  the  backyard,  past 
the  stable,  with  something  under  his  arm — a  big 
package  wrapped  up  in  a  couple  of  newspapers." 

"When  was  this?"  questioned  Jack,  quickly. 

"About  four  o'clock  this  afternoon." 

"Just  after  we  arrived  at  the  Hall !"  burst  out 
Randy. 

"What  did  he  do  with  what  package?"  asked 
Jack. 

"I  don't  know  exactly,  excepting  that  he  went 
down  past  the  stable  on  to  the  roadway  that  leads 
to  the  farm  fields." 

"Maybe  he  took  the  suitcase  and  threw  it  down 
in  one  of  the  fields,"  ventured  Andy. 

"You  didn't  see  him  come  back?"  asked  Fred. 

"Yes,  come  to  think  of  it,  I  did — about  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour  after  that,"  answered  Walt  Bax- 
ter. 

"And  did  he  have  the  package  then?" 

"No." 

"Then  I'll  wager  it  was  the  suitcase  and  he 
left  it  somewhere  down  on  the  farm!"  cried 
Randy.  "Let  us  go  and  take  a  look.  We  are 
permitted  to  go  out  in  the  farm  fields,  aren't  we  ?" 
he  asked  of  Walt. 

"Oh,  yes.  You  can  go  anywhere  you  please 
during  off  hours  so  long  as  you  don't  go  out  of 
bounds,"  was  the  reply.  "If  you  want  to  go  out 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  107 

of  bounds,  you  have  to  report  at  the  office  and  get 
permission." 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  a  few  minutes 
more,  and  Walt  Baxter  said  he  would  gladly  go 
along  with  the  Rovers  to  show  them  just  where 
he  had  seen  Nappy  Martell  with  the  bundle.  The 
five  boys  were  soon  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Hall  stable,  and  then  they  passed  beyond  this  to 
a  roadway  which  ran  between  the  fields  attached 
to  the  school  farm. 

"It's  a  pity  it's  so  dark,"  declared  Jack.  "I 
doubt  if  we'll  be  able  to  locate  that  suitcase  even 
if  we  get  quite  close  to  it." 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  declared  Randy. 
"I'll  run  back  to  my  room  and  get  my  pocket 
flashlight.  That  will  be  just  the  thing." 

It  took  him  but  a  few  minutes  to  obtain  the 
article  he  had  mentioned,  and  with  the  flashlight 
to  guide  them,  the  five  boys  started  along  the 
roadway  behind  the  school.  The  light  was  flashed 
first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other. 

"Looks  like  a  wild  goose  chase,"  declared 
Andy,  after  they  had  passed  two  farm  fields.  "I 
don't  think  he  would  come  this  far  with  that 
heavy  suitcase." 

"Here  is  a  cornfield  full  of  stacks,"  said  Walt 
Baxter.  "The  stacks  would  afford  a  dandy  hid- 
ing place  for  almost  anything." 


108         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

They  approached  the  first  of  the  stacks,  and 
Fred  kicked  some  of  the  corn  stalks  aside,  but 
without  result.  Then  they  passed  on  to  the  next 
stack. 

"Hello !  here  is  something !"  exclaimed  Jack,  as 
the  rays  of  the  flashlight  fell  upon  the  object. 
"Fred,  I  guess  we've  found  it  all  right  enough." 

"So  we  have!"  cried  the  youngest  Rover;  and 
in  a  moment  more  he  thrust  his  hand  in  between 
the  cornstalks  and  pulled  out  the  missing  suit- 
case. 


CHAPTER  XI 

DOWN    IN    THE   CORNFIELD 

THE  other  boys  gathered  around  in  curiosity 
as  Fred  brought  forth  from  the  stack  of  corn- 
stalks his  missing  suitcase.  Beside  the  bag  were 
several  newspapers  crumpled  up  into  a  wad. 

"Those  must  be  the  newspapers  he  had  the 
suitcase  wrapped  in,"  remarked  Walt  Baxter. 

"More  than  likely,"  answered  Tack.  He  picked 
up  the  wad  of  papers  and  glanced  at  them.  "New 
York  newspapers,  too,"  he  cried.  "Nappy  must 
have  brought  them  with  him  from  home." 

"Was  the  suitcase  locked,  Fred?"  questioned 
Randy. 

"No.  I  didn't  bother  to  lock  it,  because,  you 
see,  I  had  it  with  me.  I  only  lock  a  suitcase  when 
I  check  it." 

"Then  you'd  better  take  a  look  inside  and  see 
if  your  duds  are  all  right,"  advised  Andy. 

The  youngest  Rover  quickly  unstrapped  the 

suitcase  and  threw  back  the  catch.     Then,  as 

Randy  sent  the  rays  of  the  flashlight  into  the 

109 


HO         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

he,  as  well  as  the  others,  uttered  various  excla- 
mations. 

"The  mean  fellow!" 

"Fred,  you  ought  to  get  after  him  for  this!" 

For  a  quick  look  inside  the  suitcase  had  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  Nappy  Martell  had  opened 
the  bag  and  thrown  handfuls  of  dirt  amid  the 
pieces  of  clothing  and  the  various  other  articles 
Fred  had  packed  therein. 

"You'll  have  to  have  all  that  laundered  stuff 
done  over  again  before  you  can  wear  it,"  de- 
clared Jack.  "And  you'll  have  to  have  those 
neckties  cleaned,  too,  I  am  afraid.  Say!  this  is 
a  shame !" 

"Just  wait!  I  think  I'll  be  able  to  get  square 
with  Nappy  Martell,"  muttered  the  youngest 
Rover. 

"He  ought  to  be  reported  for  this,"  broke  in 
Walt  Baxter.  "This  isn't  a  joke.  It's  a  low- 
down,  dirty  trick." 

At  this  remark  all  of  the  other  Rover  boys 
looked  at  Fred,  and  he  looked  at  his  cousins  in 
return. 

"I  don't  know  about  reporting  this,"  he  an- 
swered slowly.  "I  rather  think  I  prefer  to  settle 
with  Martell  myself." 

"That's  the  talk!"  cried  Andy.  "If  you  re- 
ported this,  some  of  the  fellows  might  put  yoi« 


DO  WN  IN  THE  CORNFIELD  1 1 1 

down  for  a  softy  and  a  sneak.  I'd  rather  watch 
my  chance  and  give  Martell  as  good  as  he  sent." 

"And  with  interest,"  added  his  twin. 

"If  you  fellows  are  anything  like  your  fathers 
were  before  you,  I  reckon  you'll  know  how  to 
get  square  with  Nappy,"  remarked  Walt  Baxter. 
"I've  heard  that  the  Rovers  never  took  a  back 
seat  for  anybody." 

"I'll  figure  out  what  I'm  going  to  do  after  I 
get  settled  here,"  returned  Fred.  He  suddenly 
began  to  smile.  "Say!  things  have  been  happen- 
ing since  we  left  home,  haven't  they?" 

"I  should  say  yes!"  answered  Andy. 

With  Jack  assisting  his  cousin  in  carrying  the 
suitcase,  the  whole  crowd  returned  to  Colby  Hall, 
and  here  the  Rovers  started  to  separate  from  Walt 
Baxter,  first  requesting  him  to  remain  silent  re- 
garding the  finding  of  the  handbaggage. 

"If  we  don't  say  a  word  about  it,  maybe  Nappy 
will  get  worried,"  said  Fred;  "and  that  is  what 
I  want  him  to  do." 

"He  may  go  down  to  the  cornfield  to  see  if  the 
bag  is  still  there." 

"Hold  on !"  burst  out  Randy,  suddenly.  "I've 
got  an  idea!"  and  then  in  a  few  words  he  ex- 
plained what  had  occurred  to  him.  The  others 
listened  with  interest,  and  even  Walt  Baxter  had 
to  laugh  outright  over  what  he  proposed. 


1 1 2         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLB Y  HALL 

"I'll  do  it!"  declared  the  son  of  Dan  Baxter, 
readily.  "I'll  do  it  the  first  chance  I  get.  And, 
believe  me,  I'll  fix  it  so  Nappy  Martell  gets  into 
hot  water!" 

"I'd  like  to  see  what  effect  the  story  has  on 
Martell,"  said  Andy,  grinning  broadly.  "Can't 
you  fix  it  so  we  can  be  around  at  the  time?" 

"Sure!  When  I  get  the  chance,  I'll  drop  you 
a  hint." 

"And  now  I  must  get  this  bag  to  my  room 
without  anyone  seeing  me,"  said  Fred. 

"Better  let  Spouter  or  Fatty  carry  it  up,"  ad- 
vised Jack.  "Then,  if  Martell  sees  it,  he  won't 
know  that  it  is  your  suitcase." 

It  was  an  easy  matter  to  get  Spouter  to  do  what 
was  required,  although  he  insisted  upon  knowing 
what  was  in  the  wind.  When  he  was  told,  he, 
too,  laughed  heartily. 

"It  will  serve  Martell  right,"  he  said.  "I  hope 
it  worries  him  to  death." 

As  soon  as  the  suitcase  was  safe  in  Fred's 
room,  he  sought  out  Professor  Brice,  who  was 
busy  arranging  the  order  of  some  classes. 

"I  wish  to  report  that  I've  got  my  suitcase  back. 
Professor,"  said  the  youth. 

"Ah,  indeed !"  was  the  teacher's  reply,  and  his 
face  showed  his  relief.  "I'm  glad  to  know  it. 
Did  you — er — have  any  trouble?" 


DOWN  IN  THE  CORNFIELD 

"Nothing  that  I  care  to  mention — at  least  at 
this  time,"  answered  Fred.  "If  you  don't  mind, 
Professor,  we'll  drop  the  matter." 

"Oh,  very  well,  Rover.  Just  as  you  please." 
The  young  professor  looked  at  Fred  rather  know- 
ingly. "Of  course,  if  there  is  anything  wrong, 
you  can  report  it  later,"  he  added  hesitatingly. 

"Yes,  sir.  Thank  you,  sir,"  answered  the 
youth,  and  then  bowed  himself  out  of  the  office. 
In  the  hallway  he  was  joined  by  Andy. 

"Did  he  make  you  squeal?"  questioned  the 
cousin  quickly. 

"Not  much!"  was  the  reply.  "He's  a  good 
sport.  I  guess  he's  been  through  the  mill  him- 
self." 

Fred  spent  some  time  over  the  contents  of  the 
suitcase,  brushing  the  dirt  from  some  of  the  ar- 
ticles and  sorting  the  rest  out  to  be  cleaned  or 
laundered. 

"It's  going  to  cost  two  or  three  dollars  to  fix 
this  up,"  he  declared  to  Randy.  "I  really  ought 
to  send  the  bill  to  Martell." 

"Well,  just  wait  first  and  see  if  we  get  any 
fun  out  of  this,"  answered  the  joke-loving  cousin. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  there  was  far  from 
a  full  night's  sleep  coming  to  the  Rover  boys 
that  night.  The  quarters  were  strange  to  them, 
and  there  was  more  or  less  noise  throughout  the 


1 14        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

school  building,  a  bunch  of  scholars  coming  in 
on  a  late  train  and  not  getting  settled  down  until 
after  midnight.  There  was  also  something  of 
horseplay,  although  the  majority  of  the  cadets 
were  too  tired  from  their  journeys  to  be  very 
active. 

"I  suppose  we'll  have  to  stand  some  hazing 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing  later  on,"  remarked 
Jack  before  retiring. 

About  one  o'clock  the  school  seemed  to  settle 
down,  and  then  one  after  another  the  Rover  boys 
fell  asleep,  not  to  awaken  until  the  autumn  sun 
was  showing  well  above  the  hills  beyond  Clear- 
water  Lake. 

"This  certainly  is  a  splendid  location,"  re- 
marked Jack,  as  he  went  to  the  open  window, 
stretched  himself,  and  filled  his  lungs  with  the 
fresh  morning  air. 

"I  don't  wonder  Colonel  Colby  picked  this 
place  out  for  a  school,"  answered  Andy,  who  had 
come  in.  "He  couldn't  have  done  better." 

Not  being  accustomed  to  their  surroundings,  it 
took  the  Rovers  a  little  longer  than  usual  to  get 
washed  and  dressed.  They  were  just  finishing 
their  toilets  when  there  came  a  light  knock  on 
Randy's  door.  He  opened  it  to  find  Walt  Bax- 
ter standing  there. 

"Nappy  Martell  just  went  downstairs,  and  I've 


DOWN  IN  THE  CORNFIELD 

fixed  that  matter  up  with  Ned  Lowe,"  said  Walt. 
"Come  on  down  if  you  want  to  see  what  takes 
place." 

He  led  the  way,  and  all  of  the  Rover  boys  fol- 
lowed at  a  safe  distance.  They  saw  Walt  enter 
one  of  the  big  living-rooms  of  the  Hall,  to  one 
end  of  which  was  attached  the  school  library. 
Nappy  Martell  was  at  one  of  the  library  tables 
glancing  carelessly  over  a  magazine.  In  the  liv- 
ing-room Walt  was  joined  by  Ned  Lowe,  and 
the  pair  walked  up  behind  Nappy. 

"Why,  yes,  it  was  the  strangest  thing  I  ever 
saw,"  said  Walt  to  Ned  in  a  loud  voice  so  that 
Nappy  Martell  could  not  help  but  hear.  "The 
fellow  seemed  to  come  from  a  stack  of  cornstalks 
down  in  the  cornfield." 

"It  wasn't  one  of  the  cadets,  was  it?"  ques- 
tioned Ned,  innocently. 

"Oh,  no.  I  think  this  fellow  was  some  kind 
of  a  tramp — maybe  some  fellow  who  had  been 
sleeping  under  the  stack  all  night.  But  what  he 
was  doing  with  such  a  fine  suitcase  gets  me." 

"That's  right.  Tramps  don't  generally  have 
suitcases,"  returned  the  other  boy.  "Did  he  come 
toward  the  school?" 

"No.  He  dug  out  the  other  way  just  as  fast 
as  he  could  go." 

"Poor  fellow !  maybe  he  was  afraid  if  he  came 


Il6        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

towards  the  school  he  would  be  arrested.  If  he 
had  a  suitcase  he  couldn't  have  been  just  an  ordi- 
nary tramp.  Maybe  he  was  some  working  man 
looking  for  a  job  and  without  the  price  of  a 
night's  lodging." 

"Perhaps,  Ned.  At  the  same  time,  I  don't 
think  Colonel  Colby  wants  his  cornstalks  used  for 
a  hotel,"  returned  Walt;  and  then  he  and  Ned 
walked  through  the  library  and  went  outside  on 
the  campus. 

During  this  conversation  the  Rover  boys,  hid- 
den behind  some  open  doors,  had  watched  Nappy 
Martell  closely.  They  had  seen  that  he  had 
caught  what  was  being  said  and  had  immediately 
lost  all  interest  in  the  magazine  he  was  perusing. 
His  face  took  on  a  worried  look,  and  he  glanced 
inquiringly  after  Walt  and  Ned.  Then  he  threw 
down  his  magazine  and  started  to  leave  the  room. 

"Come  on,  let  us  watch  him,"  whispered  Jack. 

"Yes.  But  keep  out  of  his  sight,"  returned 
Randy.  "We  don't  want  this  joke  spoiled." 

Keeping  well  in  the  background,  they  saw 
Nappy  Martell  ascend  the  stairs  to  his  room.  A 
moment  later  he  came  forth  with  his  hat  in  his 
hand. 

"I  bet  an  oyster  against  a  soda  cracker  he's 
going  down  to  that  cornfield !"  cried  Andy. 

"Right  you  are !"  answered  Fred.    "Come  on, 


DOWN  IN  THE  CORNFIELD  117 

let's  follow  him;"  and  rushing  up  to  their  own 
rooms  the  Rover  boys  donned  their  caps  and 
sweaters,  for  the  day  was  unusually  cool. 

Nappy  Martell  left  the  Hall  by  a  rear  door, 
and  the  Rovers  followed.  They  saw  the  loudly 
dressed  youth  hurry  toward  the  stable  and  then 
disappear  to  the  rear.  Soon  he  was  on  the  high- 
way leading  to  the  cornfield. 

"There  is  no  use  of  our  following  him,  for 
he  might  see  us  and  that  would  spoil  everything," 
said  Randy.  "Let's  wait  here  at  the  stable  until 
he  comes  back." 

It  did  not  take  Nappy  Martell  long  to  reach 
the  cornfield ;  and  from  a  distance  the  Rovers  saw 
him  rush  around,  first  to  one  stack  of  cornstalks 
and  then  to  another.  He  was  gone  fully  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour,  and  came  back  looking  decidedly 
worried. 

"He  thinks  some  tramp  got  that  suitcase  and 
went  off  with  it,"  said  Fred,  grinning.  "Randy, 
that  certainly  was  one  great  joke." 

"Don't  say  a  word,"  answered  Randy.  "Just 
let  him  keep  on  worrying  for  a  while.  Maybe  it 
will  do  him  good." 

As  Martell  passed  the  stable,  the  Rover  boys 
stepped  out  of  sight  in  the  building.  They  saw 
him  re-enter  the  Hall,  and  then  they  took  a 
roundabout  course  which  soon  brought  them  to 


1 18         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

the  campus,  where  they  joined  Fatty  and  Ned. 

"It's  certainly  a  good  joke,"  was  Fatty's  com- 
ment. "And  any  fellow  who  would  be  mean 
enough  to  dirty  a  fellow's  clothing  like  that  ought 
to  suffer  for  it.  Gee !  I'll  bet  he's  worried !" 

Of  course,  such  a  joke  could  not  be  kept  en- 
tirely secret,  and  before  long  it  was  spread  among 
a  good  many  of  the  cadets.  But  great  care  was 
taken  to  keep  it  from  Slugger  Brown,  Codfish 
and  all  the  others  belonging  to  the  Martell  crowd. 

"And  now  to  pay  Martell  back  for  his  mean- 
ness!" said  Fred  a  little  later.  "This  joke  of 
Randy's  is  all  right  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  I  think 
I'm  going  to  go  him  one  better — that  is,  if  I  can 
get  into  Martell's  room." 

"All  right,  Fred.  Anything  you  say  goes," 
added  Andy,  quickly.  "Isn't  that  so,  Randy?" 

"Sure  thing!" 

"Look  here!  You  don't  want  to  get  into 
trouble,"  warned  Jack. 

"There  won't  be  much  trouble  about  this,"  an- 
swered Fred.  "I  am  only  going  to  give  Nappy 
Mrrtell  something  to  think  about." 


CHAPTER  XII 

LEARNING   TO   DRILL 

WHILE  the  Rover  boys  were  talking  matters 
over  among  themselves,  Nappy  Martell  had  re- 
turned to  his  room,  which  was  connected  by  a 
door  with  that  occupied  by  Slugger  Brown. 

"What  in  thunder  made  you  run  off  in  such  a 
hurry,  Nappy?"  demanded  the  other  cadet  some- 
what surlily.  "You  didn't  answer  that  question 
I  put  to  you  at  all." 

"I  had  something  else  to  think  about,"  was 
the  reply.  "It  looks  to  me  as  if  I'm  in  hot 
water." 

"How's  that?" 

"Do  you  remember  I  told  you  that  I  placed 
that  Fred  Rover's  suitcase  down  under  a  stack 
in  the  cornfield?" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  I  heard  Walt  Baxter  telling  Ned  Lowe 
that  he  had  seen  a  tramp  down  in  the  cornfield 
running  away  from  one  of  the  stacks  with  a  suit- 
case in  his  hand ;  so  I  went  down  to  the  cornfield 

119 


120         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

to  find  out  if  the  suitcase  was  still  where  I  had 
hidden  it.    It  was  gone." 

"Whew!"  Slugger  Brown  gave  a  prolonged 
whistle.  "That  certainly  does  look  bad.  Did 
Baxter  say  where  the  tramp  went?" 

"He  told  Lowe  that  he  had  not  come  towards 
the  Hall,  but  had  gone  off  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion." 

"Then  that  looks  as  if  the  suitcase  was  gone 
for  good." 

"So  it  does.  And  I  don't  know  what  I'm  going 
to  do  about  it,"  answered  Nappy  Martell,  gloom- 
ily. "Of  course,  I  didn't  think  the  suitcase  would 
be  stolen." 

"And  the  worst  part  of  it  is,  the  Rovers  sus- 
pect you  of  having  taken  it,"  was  the  comment  of 
Slugger. 

"Yes.  But  they  can't  prove  it,"  cried  Nappy, 
quickly.  "That  is,  they  won't  be  able  to  do  it 
unless  you  or  Codfish  give  me  away." 

"You  know  me  well  enough  to  know  I  won't 
say  a  word,  Nappy.  And  as  for  Codfish,  just  give 
him  to  understand  if  he  opens  his  trap  you'll  fiy 
him  for  it." 

A  little  while  later  Martell  and  Brown  went 
below.  In  the  lower  hallway  they  met  Fred  and 
some  of  the  others. 

"Well,  Marteli,  when  are  you  going  to  return 


LEARNING  TO  DRILL  121 

that  suitcase?"  demanded  the  youngest  Rover. 

"I  told  you  I  haven't  got  your  suitcase  and 
don't  know  anything  about  it,"  cried  the  loudly 
dressed  youth.  But  at  the  same  time  his  face 
grew  flushed  and  he  could  not  look  Fred  in  the 
eyes. 

"You  took  that  suitcase,  and  if  you  don't  re- 
turn it  pretty  quick  you'll  see  what  will  happen," 
warned  Fred ;  and  then  he  walked  away  with  his 
cousins,  leaving  Nappy  Martell  gazing  at  Slug- 
ger Brown,  questioningly.  The  pair  conversed 
in  a  low  tone,  and  passed  on  out  of  the  hall  on 
to  the  campus. 

"Now's  your  time,  Fred,  if  you're  going  to  do 
us  you  said,"  whispered  Randy. 

"Right  you  are !"  was  the  quick  reply.  "Come 
on;"  and  Fred  led  the  way  upstairs  again,  his 
cousins  following. 

When  they  reached  Nappy  Martell's  room,  they 
found  the  door  locked.  But  the  door  to  Slu-gger 
Brown's  apartment  was  unfastened,  and  they 
quickly  entered  this  and  passed  into  the  room 
beyond. 

"Say,  Jack,  won't  you  stand  on  guard?"  que* 
tioned  Fred.  "They  might  come  back  while  we're 
at  work." 

"All  right,  boys.  But  be  careful  what  you  tfo. 
You  don't  want  to  spoil  anything.  A  joke  is  a 


122         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

joke,  but  it  loses  its  flavor  if  it  is  carried  too 
far." 

With  Jack  standing  in  the  hallway  on  guard, 
Fred  and  the  twins  took  possession  of  Nappy 
Kartell's  room.  The  boy  who  loved  to  dress  so 
loudly  was  rather  methodical  in  his  habits,  and 
had  arranged  all  of  his  clothing  and  other  ar- 
ticles with  great  nicety  in  his  chiffonier  and  his 
closet. 

"The  bed  first,"  whispered  Fred ;  and  in  a  trice 
the  boys  had  taken  off  the  bed  clothing  and  turned 
up  the  mattress.  On  the  springs  they  placed  one 
of  the  bedsheets  and  on  the  top  of  this  they  dis- 
tributed all  of  Nappy's  choice  neckties  and  also  his 
fancy-colored  socks.  Then  to  this  they  added  his 
cuffs,  his  fancy  underwear,  and  all  of  his  loose 
jewelry.  The  articles  were  spread  over  the  bed 
with  care,  so  that  they  rested  as  flat  as  possible. 

"Now,  we'll  put  the  mattress  back  and  then 
make  up  the  bed  as  nicely  as  possible,"  said 
Randy,  who,  of  course,  in  a  joke  of  this  sort  di- 
rected operations. 

"Gee!  I  don't  believe  he'll  find  those  articles 
in  a  hurry,"  chuckled  Fred. 

"They'll  never  find  them  until  they  come  to 
turn  the  mattress  over,"  vouchsafed  Andy. 
"Some  joke,  believe  me !" 

"I  was  thinking  about  that  clothing  in  the 


THEY  WERE  PLACED  IN  WHAT  WAS  CALLED  AN  AWKWARD  SQUAD 
The  Rover  Boys  at  Colby  Hall.  Page  125 


LEARNING  TO  DRILL  123 

tloset.  I  wonder  if  we  can't  fix  that  up  some 
way,"  mused  Randy.  Then  he  began  to  grin. 
"Just  the  thing!"  he  continued,  and  walked  to 
the  chiffonier,  from  a  drawer  in  which  he  brought 
out  a  package  of  safety  pins. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  those?"  ques« 
tioned  Fred. 

"We'll  pin  up  all  the  ends  of  the  sleeves  and 
the  trouser  legs,  from  the  inside,"  was  the  quick 
reply.  "Come,  hurry  up!"  and  then  the  three 
boys  lost  no  time  in  doing  as  Randy  had  sug- 
gested. This  done,  they  left  the  room,  leaving 
it,  so  far  as  looks  in  general  went,  just  as  when 
they  had  entered  it 

"There'll  be  some  fun  when  Nappy  wants  one 
of  those  neckties  or  a  pair  of  those  fancy  socks," 
laughed  Andy.  "I  wish  I  could  be  on  hand  to 
see  him." 

"Don't  you  worry — we'll  hear  about  it,"  re- 
turned Fred.  "He'll  suspect  me  on  account  of 
that  suitcase  affair." 

While  it  was  true  that  the  regular  school  term 
had  not  yet  opened,  the  new  arrivals  had  been  in- 
formed that  they  must  be  on  hand  to  be  meas- 
used  for  their  uniforms  and  also  to  be  instructed 
by  some  of  the  seniors  who  were  present  in  drill- 
ing. The  measurements  of  the  boys  were  taken 
down  in  the  gymnasium  under  the  directions  of 


124        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

Mr.  Silas  Crews,  who  was  the  gymnasium  in- 
structor and  also  the  husband  of  Mrs.  Crews,  the 
matron  for  the  younger  cadets. 

"I  hope  they've  got  a  suit  on  hand  that  fits 
me,"  was  Jack's  comment,  as  he  and  his  cousins 
walked  to  the  gymnasium.  "I'd  like  to  see  how 
it  feels  to  be  in  a  uniform." 

His  wish  was  gratified,  for  a  little  later  he 
was  given  an  entire  outfit,  which  consisted  of 
both  a  fulldress  uniform  and  a  fatigue  suit,  as 
well  as  belt,  shoulder  straps,  cap,  and  hat,  and 
several  other  things.  Uniforms  were  also  found 
for  the  others,  and  the  entire  crowd  lost  no  time 
in  hurrying  back  to  their  rooms  to  dress  up.  In 
this  they  were  aided  by  Spouter,  who  had  donned 
his  uniform  immediately  upon  his  arrival. 

"Some  brass  buttons,  believe  me !"  was  Andy's 
comment,  as  he  strode  around  the  rooms. 

"Say!  you  put  me  in  mind  of  a  peacock,"  said 
the  twin.  "My,  just  see  how  he  swells  up !"  and 
Randy  himself  raised  his  chest  as  high  as  pos- 
sible. 

"What  are  you  going  to  be,  Jack — fifth  cor- 
poral or  first  admiral  of  the  rear  guard?"  ques- 
tioned Fred. 

"I'm  going  to  be  head  soup-carrier  for  the  bay- 
onet squad,"  returned  his  cousin  gaily. 

As  soon  as  they  had  donned  their  uniforms, 


LEARNING  TO  DRILL  125 

the  boys  returned  to  the  gymnasium,  where  they 
were  placed  in  what  was  called  an  awkward 
squad,  and  which  was  under  the  direction  of  Dan 
Soppinger.  Here  they  quickly  learned  how  to 
stand  erect  with  their  toes  on  a  chalk  mark,  and 
how  to  hold  their  hands  properly.  Then  they 
were  given  directions  how  to  cast  their  eyes 
4To  the  right,"  "To  the  left,"  and  "Front."  Then 
they  learned  the  meaning  of  "Right  face,"  "Left 
face,"  and  "About  face." 

"All  of  you  are  doing  pretty  well,"  remarked 
Dan  Soppinger  to  the  squad  of  eight  under  him. 
"Now  then,  we'll  see  what  you  can  do  when  it 
conies  to  marching.  When  i  give  the  order  'For- 
ward,' you  balance  on  your  right  foot,  and  when 
the  word  comes  'March !'  you  step  out  with  your 
left  foot.  And  when  you  step  out,  do  it  like 
this,"  and  he  gave  an  illustration  by  marching 
up  and  down  in  front  of  the  squad. 

To  the  Rover  boys  all  this  was  very  interest- 
ing, and  they  learned  with  comparative  ease. 
Only  one  of  the  awkward  squad  seemed  to  have 
difficulty  in  marching  just  right,  a  lad  named 
White. 

"Don't  lag  behind,  White!"  cried  Dan  Sop- 
pinger, sharply.  "Step  right  out  as  if  you  meant 
it;"  and  after  that  White  did  a  little  better. 

While  the  drilling  was  in  progress,  Colond 


126        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

Colby  came  down  to  the  gymnasium  to  look  on. 
He  was  pleased  with  the  general  results. 

"I  think  you  are  doing  very  well,  boys,"  he 
said.  "Of  course,  you  can't  learn  to  become  first- 
class  soldiers  in  a  day.  It  takes  hard  practising 
to  do  anything  just  right." 

"When  do  we  get  guns?"  questioned  Andy, 
after  the  drilling  had  come  to  an  end. 

"You  won't  get  guns  until  you  have  learned 
how  to  march  and  how  to  turn  properly,"  an- 
swered Dan.  "Then,  when  you  do  get  guns, 
you'll  have  to  go  in  for  the  manual  of  arms." 

"And  how  about  learning  how  to  shoot?" 
questioned  Jack. 

"That  will  come  still  later — after  you  have 
had  experience  in  marching  and  in  handling  your 
guns." 

"Whoop t  Me  for  a  real  soldier  boy!"  cried 
Andy,  his  eyes  sparkling,  and  then  he  began  to 
hum  a  bit  of  doggerel  he  had  made  up  on  the 
spur  of  the  moment. 

"Johnny,  get  your  musket 

You  must  get  your  musket 
Johnny,  get  your  musket-— 
You  must  get  it  nowl'* 

"Wow!  that's  some  song,"  was  Fred's  com- 
ment. "Better  have  it  copyrighted,  Andy." 


LEARNING  TO  DRILL 


127 


"Oh,  I've  already  got  a  double-barreled  patent 
on  it,"  was  the  light  answer.  "Anybody  who 
steals  it  will  get  ten  years  in  a  bathing  suit  at 
the  north  pole;"  and  at  this  there  was  a  general 
laugh. 

The  boys  were  awaiting  the  arrival  of  Gif 
Garrison,  who  came  in  about  noon  of  that  day. 
Gif  was  a  big  boy,  and,  as  mentioned  before,  was 
at  the  head  of  a  great  many  of  the  athletic  doings 
of  the  school. 

"Glad  to  see  you  fellows  here,"  said  Gif,  as 
he  shook  hands  all  around.  "My!  but  we're 
going  to  have  some  good  times  now,  aren't  we  ?" 

"If  we  don't,  it  won't  be  our  fault,"  responded 
Jack. 

"We've  just  been  learning  how  to  become  sol- 
diers," explained  Randy.  "My  head  is  full  of 
'Eyes  right,'  'Left  face/  'Forward  march,'  and  all 
that  sort  of  thing." 

"Oh,  you'll  get  used  to  that,  Randy,  before 
you've  been  here  very  long,"  returned  Gif. 

"Did  you  have  a  nice  time  getting  here  ?"  ques- 
tioned Fred. 

"I  might  have  had  a  nice  time  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  one  thing,"  was  the  answer.  "I  came  in  on  the 
same  train  with  a  professor  that  none  of  us  like." 

"Oh !  Do  you  mean  Asa  Lemm  ?"  questioned 
Andy,  quickly. 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"That's  it!    What  do  you  know  of  him?" 
"We  know  quite  a  little,"  answered  Jack,  and 
related  some  of  the  particulars  of  what  had  hap- 
pened on  the  train. 

"Oh,  I  can  see  your  finish,"  said  Gif  with  a 
serious  look  on  his  face.  "Old  Lemon  will 
never  forget  that  happening.  He'll  be  down  on 
you  for  it  all  the  term." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

FRED    IS    FOLLOWED 

IT  took  the  Rover  boys  several  days  to  set- 
tle down  at  Colby  Hall.  Everything,  of  course, 
was  new  to  them,  and  they  took  great  delight 
in  roaming  around  the  place  in  company  with 
Spouter,  Gif  and  the  various  new  friends  they 
had  made.  During  that  time  they  continued  to 
drill,  both  in  the  morning  and  the  afternoon; 
and  it  was  surprising  how  quickly  they  learned 
the  manual  of  arms  and  also  the  other  tactics 
which  go  to  make  up  the  discipline  of  a  cadet. 

"This  life  is  all  to  the  merry,"  was  Andy's 
comment  one  day,  while  he  and  the  others  were 
down  at  the  shore  of  the  river  inspecting  the 
boathouse  with  its  numerous  craft. 

"It  certainly  is  one  fine  place,"  answered  Jack. 
"If  Putnam  Hall  was  anything  like  this,  no  won- 
der our  fathers  thought  so  much  of  it." 

Since  Fred  had  asked  Nappy  Martell  for  the 
suitcase,  the  boy  who  was  addicted  to  loud  cloth- 
ing had  avoided  the  Rovers.  But  through  the 

129 


1 30        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLE Y  HALL 

cadet  named  White  they  had  learned  much  of 
what  had  happened  in  Nappy's  room  when  he 
came  in  after  it  had  been  "rearranged"  by  the 
Rovers. 

"Nappy  Martell  was  the  maddest  fellow  you 
ever  saw,"  Bart  White  had  declared.  "He 
stormed  all  around  the  corridor,  accusing  nearly 
everybody  in  that  vicinity  of  having  taken  his 
neckties  and  his  underwear  and  a  lot  of  jewelry. 
He  even  came  to  my  room  and  threatened  to  tell 
Colonel  Colby  if  I  didn't  tell  him  where  the  things 
were." 

"And,  of  course,  you  couldn't  do  that,"  had 
been  Randy's  reply,  with  a  side  wink  at  the  oth- 
ers. 

"No.  I  told  him  I  didn't  know  where  the 
things  were — because,  you  see,  I  really  didn't 
know,"  went  on  Bart  White,  innocently. 

"And  after  that?"  queried  Jack. 

"Oh,  he  stormed  around,  accusing  this  one 
and  that  one  until  some  of  the  boys  got  sick  of 
listening  and  told  him  to  shut  up.  Then  he  went 
back  to  his  room  and  slammed  the  door  hard 
enough  to  burst  it  off  its  hinges." 

"Do  you  suppose  he  reported  the  matter  to 
Colonel  Colby?"  had  been  Fred's  question. 

"I  don't  know  about  that.  You  see,  when  a 
fellow  gets  as  mad  as  Martell  was  he's  liable  to 


FRED  IS  FOLLOWED  131 

do  almost  anything."  And  that  was  all  Bart 
White  had  had  to  relate  concerning  the  affair. 

So  far,  the  Rover  boys  had  not  had  anything 
to  do  with  Asa  Lemm.  They  had  met  the  sharp- 
faced  professor  once  in  the  hallway  and  he  had 
stared  at  them  in  a  fashion  which  made  Andy 
shiver. 

"He's  got  it  in  for  me  all  right!"  had  been 
the  declaration  of  the  fun-loving  youth. 

"I  guess  Gif  was  right,"  had  been  Jack's  com- 
ment. "He'll  have  it  in  for  us  the  whole  term. 
Too  bad !  I'd  rather  be  friendly  with  every  one 
than  have  any  enemies." 

The  Rover  boys  were  just  leaving  the  boat- 
house  after  having  admired  the  beautiful  four- 
and  eight-oared  shells  stored  there,  when  they 
saw  Fatty  Hendry  coming  towards  them  as  rap- 
idly as  his  stoutness  permitted. 

"Say !  I've  got  something  to  tell  you  fellows," 
puffed  the  fat  boy  as  he  came  closer.  "I  just  saw 
that  sneak  of  a  Codfish  coming  from  Fred's  room. 
He  looked  awful  sneakish,  and  I'm  sure  he  was 
up  to  no  good." 

"I'll  go  up  to  my  room  at  once  and  see,"  an- 
swered the  youngest  Rover,  and  lost  no  time  in 
speeding  back  to  the  Hall. 

He  bounded  up  the  stairs  two  steps  at  a  time. 
But  when  he  reached  the  room  he  occupied,  a 


132         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

surprise  awaited  him.  Everything  was  exactly 
as  he  had  left  it.  It  may  be  as  well  to  state  here 
that  every  cadet  at  Colby  Hall  was  required  to 
keep  his  room  in  absolute  order,  and  a  monitor 
came  around  twice  a  day  to  see  that  this  regu- 
lation was  carried  out.  If  a  pupil  was  lax  in  any 
particular  regarding  his  room,  he  was  given  a  de- 
merit in  consequence  thereof. 

"Well,  thank  goodness!  he  didn't  upset  any- 
thing, even  if  he  was  here,"  murmured  Fred  to 
himself.  "I  wonder  what  the  little  imp  was  up 
to?"  Then  a  sudden  thought  struck  him  and  he 
walked  to  the  clothes  closet  in  the  bottom  of  which 
he  had  deposited  his  suitcase.  He  found  the  bag 
in  the  closet,  but  it  was  placed  there  in  such  a  way 
that  he  was  sure  it  had  been  handled. 

"Well,  what  have  you  found?"  questioned 
Andy,  who  had  followed  his  cousin  to  the  room. 

"I  think  I  know  why  he  came  here,"  declared 
Fred.  "More  than  likely  Martell  sent  him  here 
to  find  out  whether  I  really  had  the  suitcase  or 
not.  The  bag  I  know  has  been  handled.  When 
I  placed  it  in  the  closet  I  put  the  open  end  of  the 
straps  against  the  wall.  Now  the  open  ends  are 
on  this  side." 

"Say!  you're  some  detective,  Fred!" 

"I  know  how  I  left  the  bag.  And  he  certainly 
had  it  out  of  the  closet  and  put  it  back." 


FRED  IS  FOLLOWED  133 

"See  if  he  did  anything  to  it,"  went  on  Andy, 
quickly;  and  thereupon  Fred  brought  the  bag 
forth  and  examined  it.  It  was  empty,  just  as 
he  had  left  it. 

"Well,  that  will  take  the  worry  of  the  missing 
bag  from  Martell's  mind,"  was  Fred's  comment, 
as  he  and  Andy  left  the  room,  this  time  locking 
the  door. 

"Martell  must  have  had  some  kind  of  a  clue 
to  the  truth  or  he  wouldn't  have  sent  Codfish 
here,"  was  Andy's  comment.  "Maybe  he  got  on 
to  what  part  Walt  Baxter  and  Ned  Lowe  played 
in  the  trick."  And  in  this  surmise  Andy  was 
correct.  By  the  merest  accident  Codfish  had  over- 
heard Walt  and  Ned  speaking  about  the  joke,  and 
at  once  he  had  gone  to  Nappy  with  the  news; 
and  the  upshot  had  been  that  Nappy  had  sent 
the  sneak  to  Fred's  room  to  learn  if  the  suitcase 
with  Fred's  initials  upon  it  was  there. 

Late  that  afternoon  both  the  old  and  the  new 
cadets  were  assigned  to  their  places  in  the  va- 
rious classrooms  and  also  given  the  text-books 
which  they  were  to  study  during  the  term. 

"This  begins  to  look  like  work,"  sighed  Randy. 

"Well,  we  didn't  come  here  just  for  the  fun 
of  it,"  declared  Jack.  "We  came  here,  if  you'll 
remember,  to  get  an  education." 

"Oh,  I'm  not  going  to  complain,"  returned  his 


134         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

cousin  quickly.  "I'm  willing  to  do  my  share  of 
studying.  But  after  the  splendid  vacation  we 
had  this  Summer  it  will  be  a  little  tough  at  the 
•beginning  to  get  down  to  the  grind." 

"That's  just  what  I  was  thinking,"  declared 
Andy,  "I  wish  a  fellow  didn't  have  to  study. 
Why  can't  some  of  our  great  inventors  invent 
some  kind  of  knowledge  pill  so  a  fellow  can  just 
go  and  buy  a  few  boxes  and  then  take  them 
regularly  ?" 

"Great  idea,  Andy!"  exclaimed  his  twin  mer- 
rily. 

By  the  next  morning  all  of  the  cadets  had  ar- 
rived, and  also  all  of  the  teachers  and  the  other 
persons  connected  with  Colby  Hall.  Then  the 
cadets  were  assembled  on  the  parade  ground  and 
made  to  march  into  the  general  assembly  room 
of  the  institution,  where  Colonel  Colby  addressed 
them.  He  spoke  about  the  good  work  done  by 
the  cadets  during  the  former  term  at  the  school, 
and  said  he  trusted  that  the  present  term  would 
turn  out  still  better. 

"At  present  all  of  our  old  officers  of  the  bat- 
talion will  hold  over,"  he  announced.  "But  in 
the  near  future — just  as  soon  as  we  have  got 
settled  in  our  classes — I  will  announce  the  time 
for  a  new  election.  The  major  and  the  two  cap- 
tains to  be  elected  must  be  in  their  senior  year  at 


FRED  IS  FOLLOWED 


135 


this  institution.  The  other  officers  may  be  either 
sophomores  or  juniors." 

''That  lets  us  out,"  whispered  Andy  to  Jack. 
"Evidently  no  freshmen  can  be  officers." 

"Well,  why  should  we  be  officers?"  answered 
his  cousin.  "We  hardly  know  a  thing  about  sol- 
diering yet.  I  think  Colonel  Colby's  rule  is  a 
very  good  one." 

During  the  meeting  in  the  assembly  room  all 
of  the  professors  were  called  on  to  say  a  few 
words  to  the  cadets.  The  addresses  delivered  by 
Professors  Grawson  and  Brice  and  one  or  two 
of  the  other  teachers  were  well  received;  but  it 
was  plainly  evident  that  when  Asa  Lemm  came 
forward  to  speak  to  the  boys  there  was  a  distinctly 
cold  feeling  towards  him. 

"I  want  to  speak  about  attention  to  work,"  he 
said  in  a  severe  tone  of  voice.  "During  the  last 
term  at  this  school  there  was  not  that  attention  in 
classes  that  I  desire.  From  now  on  I  expect 
every  one  who  comes  to  me  to  pay  strict  atten- 
tion at  all  times.  Any  laxity  will  be  severely  pun- 
ished." 

"Gosh!  He's  a  cheerful  customer!"  was 
Fred's  comment. 

"He'd  make  a  fellow  down  on  him  almost  be- 
fore the  term  began,"  was  another  cadet's  com- 
ment. 


136        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"I  don't  wonder  they  call  him  old  Lemon," 
added  another  youth. 

"And  now  we're  all  ready  to  go  to  work,"  said 
Jack,  after  the  cadets  had  been  dismissed.  On 
the  following  day  the  classes  were  to  begin. 

There  had  been  so  much  bustle  and  confusion 
throughout  the  school  that  day  that  Fred,  who 
was  not  feeling  extra  well,  got  quite  a  headache, 

"You  had  better  lie  down  for  a  while  and  rest," 
said  Jack,  kindly.  "You  don't  want  to  get  sick." 

"Oh,  it's  only  a  headache,  and  I'll  soon  be  over 
it,"  declared  Fred.  "I  think  I'll  go  out  for  a  quiet 
walk  along  the  river." 

"Do  you  want  me  to  go  along?" 

"No.  I'd  just  as  lief  go  alone,  Jack.  I  think 
the  quietness  will  do  me  more  good  than  any- 
thing." 

This  mood  was  not  a  new  one  with  the  young- 
est Rover,  so  Jack  said  no  more,  and  a  few  min- 
utes later  Fred  slipped  on  his  heavy  sweater  and 
donned  his  cap  and  set  out  for  his  walk.  His 
steps  took  him  towards  the  boathouse  and  the 
bathing  houses,  and  then  he  continued  on  along 
a  path  running  close  to  the  shore  of  the  river. 

Although  the  youngest  Rover  did  not  know  it, 
his  departure  had  been  watched  by  Codfish.  The 
small  boy  lost  no  time  in  hurrying  to  Nappy  Mar- 
tell  and  Slugger  Brown  with  his  information. 


FRED  IS  FOLLOWED 


137 


"You're  sure  he's  alone?"  asked  Nappy, 
quickly. 

"Yes.    Nobody  went  out  with  him." 

"Then  that's  our  chance,  Slugger,"  went  on 
the  boy  from  New  York.  "Come  ahead,  if  you 
want  to  help  me." 

"All  right,  Nap.  But  I  thought  you  said  you 
could  polish  him  off  alone?" 

"So  I  can.  But  I  thought  you'd  like  to  see 
the  fun." 

"Can't  I  go  along  too?"  put  in  Codfish. 

"Yes,  if  you'll  promise  to  keep  your  mouth 
shut  about  it." 

"Oh,  I  won't  say  a  word,"  returned  the  little 
cadet,  quickly. 

Putting  on  their  hats  and  coats,  the  three  ca- 
dets lost  no  time  in  following  Fred.  It  was  quite 
dark  on  the  campus  and  parade  ground,  but  they 
soon  caught  sight  of  the  figure  ahead  as  the 
youngest  Rover  moved  past  the  bathhouses  to  the 
river  path  beyond. 

"He's  alone  all  right  enough,"  was  Slugger 
Brown's  comment. 

,  "I  thought  I'd  catch  him  sooner  or  later  after 
I  set  Codfish  to  watching  him,"  answered  Nappy 
Martell.  "Now  I  guess  I'll  be  able  to  teuch  him 
to  play  tricks  on  me,"  he  added  sourly. 

The  three  cadets  quickened  their  pace,  and  in 


138        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

a  moment  more  caught  up  to  Fred  just  as  he 
reached  a  point  on  the  river  shore  almost  out  of 
sight  of  the  Hall.  Fred  had  dipped  his  handker- 
chief in  the  water  and  used  the  same  for  wiping 
off  his  aching  brow. 

"See  here,  Rover,  I  want  to  talk  to  you !"  cried 
Nappy  Martell,  and,  striding  forward,  he  caught 
Fred  roughly  by  the  arm. 

Of  course,  the  youngest  Rover  was  startled, 
not  dreaming  that  anyone  was  following  him. 
Yet  he  showed  no  signs  of  fear. 

"What  do  you  want  of  me,  Martell  ?"  he  asked 
quietly. 

"I'll  show  you  what  I  want  of  you!"  cried 
Nappy  Martell  in  sudden  wrath.  "I'll  teach  you 
to  play  tricks  on  me!  Try  to  make  me  believe 
your  suitcase  was  stolen,  will  you?  And  then 
come  to  my  room  and  rough-house  things,  eh? 
Just  wait  till  I  get  through  with  you  and  you'll 
wish  you'd  never  been  born!" 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE   FIGHT 

FRED  ROVER  realized  that  he  was  in  an  unen- 
viable situation.  Nappy  Martell  was  thoroughly 
angry,  and  evidently  Slugger  Brown  and  Codfish 
were  present  to  aid  him  in  anything  he  might 
undertake  to  do. 

Many  another  boy  might  have  thought  dis- 
cretion the  better  part  of  valor  and  taken  to  his 
heels.  But  the  youngest  Rover  was  not  built 
that  way.  He  had  been  taught  to  stick  up  for 
his  rights  and  defend  himself  whenever  the  cause 
was  a  just  one. 

"What  do  you  propose  to  do,  Martell?"  he 
questioned  as  quietly  as  he  could. 

"I'll  show  you  what  I'll  do,"  blustered  the 
other.  "You  thought  it  was  a  fine  joke  to  put 
most  of  my  things  under  the  mattress  of  my  bed, 
didn't  you?" 

"Who  told  you  I  did  that?" 

"Never  mind.  I  found  it  out,  and  that's 
enough.  Do  you  dare  to  deny  it  ?" 

139 


140        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"I  don't  suppose  there  will  be  any  use  in  deny- 
ing it,"  was  Fred's  reply.  "It  was  done  as  a 
joke,  to  square  accounts  over  the  missing  suit- 
case." 

"Bah !  you  needn't  talk  to  me,  Rover !  I  know 
the  kind  you  and  your  cousins  are.  I'm  going 
to  fix  you.  How  do  you  like  that?"  and  as  he 
uttered  the  last  word,  Nappy  Martell  hauled  back 
and  slapped  Fred  on  the  cheek. 

It  was  a  comparatively  light  blow,  but  it 
aroused  all  the  fighting  blood  in  the  youngest 
Rover  boy's  nature,  and  without  stopping  to 
think  twice,  he  doubled  up  his  fists  and  hit  the 
larger  youth  a  stinging  blow  in  the  jaw. 

"Gee!  look  at  that!"  murmured  Codfish,  who 
had  not  expected  such  an  onslaught  from  the 
smaller  cadet. 

"Say,  Nappy,  he's  coming  back  at  you !"  burst 
out  Slugger  Brown,  in  surprise. 

"Coming  back  at  me  nothing!"  roared  Mar- 
tell  ;  and,  leaping  forward,  he  rained  a  succession 
of  filows  on  Fred — hitting  him  in  the  shoulder, 
the  chest  and  then  the  left  ear. 

In  another  moment  the  two  cadets  were  at  it 
"hammer  and  tongs."  As  they  circled  around, 
Codfish  put  out  his  foot,  trying  to  trip  Fred  up. 
He  failed  in  this,  but  a  moment  later  Slugger 
Brown  tried  the  trick  with  success,  and  the 


THE  FIGHT  141 

youngest  Rover  came  down  heavily  and  an  in- 
stant later  Nappy  Martell  landed  on  top  of  him. 

"Get  off  of  me !  That  wasn't  fair !"  exclaimed 
Fred.  "Those  other  fellows  tripped  me  up." 

"Aw,  shut  up!"  retorted  Martell;  and  while 
he  held  Fred  down  with  his  body  he  continued 
to  pommel  the  smaller  youth  with  his  fists. 

"Don't  go  too  far,"  said  Slugger  Brown  pres- 
ently, in  alarm.  "If  you  do  that,  he  may  squeal 
and  get  you  into  trouble." 

"Somebody  is  coming !"  screamed  Codfish,  sud- 
denly, as  he  saw  a  number  of  forms  running 
across  the  parade  ground  in  the  direction  of  the 
river  road.  "Four  or  five  of  'em." 

"It's  Jack  Rover  and  his  chums,"  muttered 
Slugger  Brown. 

He  was  right.  Jack  was  approaching,  fol- 
lowed by  Spouter,  Fatty,  Walt  Barter  and  Gif 
Garrison. 

"I  was  sure  they  were  up  to  no  good — follow- 
ing Fred  that  way,"  Walt  Baxter  was  saying. 

"I'm  glad  you  told  me  about  this,  Walt,"  an- 
swered Jack.  "Three  against  one  is  no  fair 
deal." 

As  the  five  cadets  came  rushing  up,  Codfish 
viewed  their  approach  with  alarm  and  then  re- 
treated several  paces.  Slugger  Brown,  however, 
stood  his  ground. 


I42         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Hi  you !  let  my  cousin  alone !"  cried  Jack,  and, 
leaping  forward,  he  caught  Nappy  Martell  by 
the  collar  and  hurled  him  into  some  bushes. 

"Say,  this  isn't  any  of  your  fight,"  put  in  Slug- 
ger Brown,  uglily.  While  he  spoke,  Fred  lost 
no  time  in  leaping  to  his  feet  and  there  he  stood, 
once  more  on  the  defensive. 

"No  one  asked  you  to  butt  in,  Jack  Rover!" 
stormed  Nappy  Martell.  "You  keep  out  of  this." 

"Why  did  he  attack  you,  Fred?" 

"Huh !  you  know  the  reason  as  well  as  he  does," 
burst  out  Martell.  "You  played  a  trick  on  me 
about  that  suitcase,  and  then  you  came  and  rough- 
housed  my  room." 

"One  trick  was  only  played  to  square  up  for 
the  other,  Martell,"  answered  Jack,  calmly.  "You 
ought  to  be  man  enough  to  cry  quits  and  let  it  go 
at  that." 

"I  won't  cry  quits — not  until  I've  given  this 
fellow  a  good  licking!"  roared  Nappy  Martell; 
and  then  before  anyone  could  stop  him  he  lunged 
another  blow  at  Fred,  who,  however,  was  quick 
enough  to  dodge  it. 

"Stop !"  Jack's  voice  was  now  unusually  stern, 
and  stepping  up  to  Nappy  Martell  he  caught  the 
fellow  by  the  arm  and  swung  him  around  so  that 
the  pair  faced  each  other.  "If  you  want  to  fight, 
Martell,  take  somebody  nearer  your  size." 


THE  FIGHT  143 

"Oh,  Jack !  I'm  not  afraid  of  him,"  burst  out 
Fred.  Strange  to  say,  the  excitement  of  the  oc- 
casion seemed  to  have  chased  his  headache  com- 
pletely away. 

"Maybe  you  want  me  to  fight  you,"  sneered 
Nappy  Martell. 

"You'll  have  to  fight  me  if  you  don't  leave  my 
cousin  Fred  alone." 

"See  here,  Rover!  you've  no  right  to  bdtt  in 
like  this,"  interposed  Slugger  Brown.  "Why 
don't  you  let  the  pair  finish  it  ?" 

"Those  two  fellows,"  cried  Fred,  pointing  to 
Slugger  Brown  and  Codfish,  "tripped  me  up.  It 
wasn't  fair — three  against  one." 

"We  didn't  trip  him  up  at  all,"  came  from  the 
two  accused  ones  simultaneously. 

"They  did,  Jack.  First  Codfish  tried  it,  and 
then  Brown  put  out  his  foot  and  I  went  down, 
and  Martell  at  once  pounced  on  me." 

"That's  no  way  to  fight!"  broke  out  Spouter. 

"It  was  certainly  a  mean  trick,"  was  Gif's  com- 
ment. 

"If  there  is  any  fighting  to  be  done,  I  guess 
we're  on  hand  to  see  that  it's  done  fairly,"  came 
from  Walt  Baxter. 

A  perfect  war  of  words  followed,  in  the  midst 
of  which  Nappy  Martell  seemed  to  lose  complete 
control  of  his  temper.  He  rushed  at  Jack  and  hit 


I44        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

the  youth  two  quick  blows,  one  in  the  chest  and 
the  other  on  the  chin.  The  oldest  Rover  was  not 
looking  for  this  attack,  and  he  staggered  back- 
ward into  some  bushes,  all  but  losing  his  balance, 

"That's  the  way  to  do  it,  Nappy !"  cried  Slug- 
ger Brown,  excitedly.  "Give  it  to  him !" 

Jack  was  as  much  surprised  as  Fred  had  been 
when  first  hit,  but  he  was  able  to  recover  much 
more  quickly  than  his  cousin.  He  leaped  for- 
ward from  the  bushes,  doubled  up  his  fists,  and 
the  next  instant  sent  in  a  crashing  blow  that 
landed  straight  on  Martell's  nose.  He  followed 
up  this  blow  with  another  on  the  other  youth's 
chin  which  sent  Martell  sprawling  flat  on  his 
back. 

"Hurrah !  that's  the  way  to  do  it,  Jack !"  cried 
Spouter. 

"Say !  has  he  got  to  fight  two  of  you  Rovers  ?" 
questioned  Slugger  Brown. 

"No.  He's  got  to  fight  me  only,"  answered 
Jack,  quickly.  He  turned  to  his  cousin.  "Fred, 
you  keep  out  of  this." 

"But  he  started  on  me,"  pleaded  the  youngest 
Rover.  "And  now  that  you  are  here  to  see  fair 
play,  I'm  not  afraid  of  him." 

"Never  mind.  It's  my  fight,  anyway,"  went  on 
Jack.  "I  owe  him  one  for  the  way  he  treated 
me  down  in  Wall  Street  that  day." 


THE  FIGHT  ..  145 

While  this  talk  was  going  on,  Nappy  Martell 
had  scrambled  to  his  feet.  His  nose  was  swollen 
and  bleeding  profusely. 

"You  imp !"  he  howled,  and  lunged  another  at- 
tack at  Jack. 

He  was  able  to  land  two  blows  on  Jack's  chest, 
but  they  were  not  powerful  enough  to  do  harm. 
Then,  as  Martell  circled  around,  the  oldest  Rover 
boy  managed  to  get  in  another  blow,  this  time 
on  his  opponent's  mouth,  loosening  two  of  Nap- 
py's teeth. 

"That's  the  way  to  do  it,  Jack !" 

"Give  him  a  few  more  like  that  and  he'll  soon 
quit." 

"Go  for  him,  Nappy!  You  can  do  him  up  if 
you'll  only  try,"  bellowed  Slugger  Brown  in  ex- 
citement. 

"You  keep  back,  Slugger,"  warned  Walt  Bax- 
ter. "Don't  you  interfere." 

"I  didn't  interfere." 

"Well,  you're  too  close,  anyway.  Keep  back 
like  the  rest  of  us." 

"That's  just  what  I  say,"  broke  out  Spouter. 

Realizing  that  the  others  were  in  the  majority, 
Slugger  Brown  kept  his  distance  from  the  pair 
who  were  fighting.  Codfish  was  trembling  like 
a  leaf,  and  cowered  well  in  the  background. 

Around  and  around  circled  the  two  contest- 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

ants,  and  for  a  few  minutes  neither  of  them 
seemed  to  have  the  advantage.  Jack  was  hit  in 
the  arm,  and  returned  by  landing  another  blow, 
this  time  on  Nappy's  chest.  Then  the  big  youth 
limed  a  kick  at  the  Rover  boy's  stomach. 

"Hi!  that's  no  way  to  fight!"  cried  Gif,  indig- 
nantly. 

Jack  had  managed  to  escape  the  kick,  and  he 
had  put  down  one  hand  so  quickly  that  Nappy 
Martell  had  been  in  great  danger  of  being  caught 
and  thrown  on  his  back. 

In  the  midst  of  the  contest  several  forms 
could  be  seen  hurrying  across  the  campus  and  the 
parade  ground,  and  in  a  moment  more  Andy  and 
Randy  came  into  view,  followed  by  Bart  White 
and  some  other  cadets. 

"It's  a  fight!" 

"Why,  what  do  you  know  about  this!  Tack 
is  fighting  Nappy  Martell !" 

"Martell  tackled  me  first,  but  Jack  took  the 
fight  out  of  my  hands,"  explained  Fred  to  his 
cousins. 

"Who  has  got  the  best  of  it?"  questioned  Bart 
White,  excitedly. 

"I  think  Jack  has  the  best  of  it  so  far,"  an- 
swered Gif;  "but  the  fight  isn't  finished  yet,"  he 
added,  a  bit  anxiously. 

"You're  right  it  isn't  finished  yet!"  retorted 


THE  FIGHT  147 

Slugger  Brown.  "Just  you  wait  until  Nappy 
gets  his  second  wind,  and  then  you'll  see  what 
he'll  do  to  Rover." 

Once  more  the  two  contestants  were  circling 
around,  each  trying  to  get  in  some  kind  of  tell- 
ing blow.  Various  passes  were  made,  and  in  the 
excitement  the  pair  left  the  roadway  and  began 
to  circle  around  on  the  grassy  bank  of  the  river. 

"Look  out  there,  or  you'll  both  go  overboard !" 
sang  out  Spouter  in  alarm. 

The  cadets  who  were  fighting  were  too  en- 
grossed to  pay  attention  to  this  warning.  They 
kept  on  circling  about,  and  then  Nappy  Martell 
made  a  wild  and  vicious  pass  for  Jack's  head. 
The  latter  dodged  like  lightning,  came  up  under 
his  opponent's  arm,  and  the  next  instant  landed 
a  swinging  blow  on  Kartell's  ear  which  sent  him 
staggering  backward  several  paces,  to  fail  with  a 
splash  into  the  river. 


CHAPTER  XV 

IN  THE  TOWN 

"HELLO!    Nappy's  overboard!" 

"Wow !  that  was  some  crack  on  the  ear  P* 

"Can  he  swim  ?" 

"Sure,  he  can  swim!  If  he  can't  we  can  haul 
him  in  easy  enough." 

"I  don't  believe  the  river  is  very  deep  here." 

Such  were  some  of  the  words  uttered  imme- 
diately after  the  well-delivered  blow  from  Jack 
Rover  had  sent  his  opponent  spinning  into  the 
swiftly  flowing  waters  of  the  Rick  Rack  River. 
Fortunately,  the  moon  and  the  stars  were  shining 
brightly,  so  it  was  not  as  dark  as  it  otherwise 
might  have  been.  Indeed,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
brightness  of  the  night  it  is  doubtful  if  the  fight 
could  have  been  carried  on  as  already  described. 

All  of  the  cadets  present  lined  up  along  the 
river  bank,  and  an  instant  later  saw  Nappy  Mar- 
tell  come  to  the  surface.  He  was  striking  out 
wildly  and  spluttering  at  the  same  time,  showing 
that  he  had  gone  overboard  with  his  mouth  open 

148 


IN  THE  TOWN  149 

and  had  swallowed  some  of  the  water.  One  hand 
and  shoulder  were  covered  with  mud  from  the 
river  bottom,  for  at  that  particular  point  the 
stream  was  less  than  five  feet  deep. 

"Oh,  he'll  be  drowned!  I  know  he'll  be 
drowned!"  screamed  Codfish  in  terror. 

"You  shut  up,  you  little  imp!"  burst  out  Gif. 
"You'll  arouse  the  whole  school,  and  there  is  no 
need  of  doing  that." 

By  this  time  Nappy  Martell  was  close  to  the 
river  bank,  and  he  reached  up  his  hand  appeal- 
ingly  to  those  above  him. 

"Here,  give  me  your  hand,  Nappy !"  cried  Slug- 
ger Brown,  and  reached  down  to  aid  his  crony. 
But  the  bank  was  a  slippery  and  treacherous  one, 
and  he  was  in  danger  of  going  overboard  him- 
self. 

"Wait  a  minute,  Slugger — let  me  help  you," 
cried  Spouter,  and  he  took  hold  of  the  big  youth's 
left  hand. 

Then  the  others  also  came  forward  to  do  what 
they  could,  and  in  a  few  seconds  more  Nappy 
Martell  was  hauled  up  on  the  grass.  He  was 
pretty  well  exhausted  and  panted  painfully. 

"I'm  sorry  you  went  overboard,  Martell,"  said 
Jack,  promptly.  "I  didn't  expect  to  knock  you 
into  the  river." 

"You  did  it  on  purpose !    You  know  you  did !"" 


150        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

returned  the  other  youth  wrath  fully.  "Yo— 
you — d — d — don't  know  how  to  f — f — fight 
fair,"  he  added,  his  teeth  suddenly  beginning  to 
chatter,  for  the  unexpected  bath  at  this  season 
'•dad  proved  awfully  cold. 

"Say!  he's  shivering  like  a  leaf!"  cried  Fred. 

"You  had  better  get  back  to  the  Hall  and 
change  you  clothing,"  advised  Jack. 

"I  won't  change  anything  until  I've  given  you 
a  licking,"  roared  Nappy  Martell. 

"Oh,  say,  Nappy,  you  had  better  call  it  off  for 
to-night,"  interposed  Slugger  Brown.  "You  can't 
fight  in  those  wet  clothes.  Finish  it  some  other 
time." 

"I  won't!"  came  the  ejaculation,  and  then  the 
dripping  boy  hurled  himself  once  more  at  Jack. 

But  he  was  blinded  by  water  and  mud  as  well 
as  by  rage;  and  the  oldest  Rover  boy  easily 
evaded  the  new  onslaught.  Then,  of  a  sudden, 
he  reached  out  and  caught  Martell  by  both  wrists 
and  held  him  in  a  vise-like  grasp. 

"Now,  see  here,  Martell,  don't  be  foolish,"  he 
said  sternly.  "I  don't  want  to  fight  a  fellow  who 
has  been  overboard  and  is  wringing  wet.  You'll 
catch  your  death  of  cold  hanging  around  here  in 
this  night  air.  Go  on  back  to  the  Hall  and  change 
your  clothing.  If  you  want  to  finish  this  some 
other  time,  I'll  be  ready  for  you." 


IN  THE  TOWN  ISi 

"That's  the  talk !"  added  Spouter. 

"It  would  be  foolish  to  go  on  in  this  condi- 
tion," remarked  Gif.  "Call  it  off,  by  all  means." 

"You  might  as  well  do  it,"  came  from  Slug- 
ger Brown.  "You  wouldn't  have  any  kind  of  a 
fair  show,  Nappy — after  having  been  in  the  river, 
and  after  having  had  to  lick  the  other  Rover 
first." 

"He  didn't  lick  me!"  burst  out  Fred,  indig- 
nantly. 

More  words  followed,  but  in  the  end  Nappy 
Martell  consented  to  return  to  the  Hall  and  went 
off  in  company  with  Slugger  Brown,  Codfish,  and 
one  or  two  more  friends  who  had  chanced  to  come 
up. 

"You'll  have  to  slip  in  on  the  sly,  or  else  some- 
body may  ask  some  unpleasant  questions,"  re- 
marked Slugger  Brown  on  the  way  to  the  school. 

"You  lend  me  your  coat,  and  I'll  take  mine  off 
and  make  a  bundle  of  it,"  answered  Martell ;  and 
so  it  was  arranged.  The  others  clustered  around 
the  dripping  youth  and  thus  they  managed  to  get 
him  to  his  room  without  being  detected. 

"He'll  never  forgive  you,  Jack,  for  knocking 
him  into  the  river,"  said  Randy,  while  the  Rov- 
ers and  their  friends  walked  slowly  back  to  the 
Hall. 

"I  guess  you're  right,"  was  the  answer. 


152         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"And  what  is  more,  he'll  probably  try  to  play 
some  underhanded  trick  on  you,"  added  Andy. 

"I  wish  I  had  had  the  chance — I  think  I  could 
have  knocked  him  out  myself,"  broke  in  Fred. 
"I'm  not  afraid  of  him,  even  if  he  is  bigger  than 
I  am." 

All  those  who  had  witnessed  the  contest  were 
cautioned  to  keep  quiet  about  it.  Yet  in  a  school 
like  Colby  Hall  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  keep 
the  particulars  of  the  affair  from  circulating,  and 
before  long  many  of  the  cadets  knew  the  truth. 
The  majority  were  of  the  opinion  that  Jack  could 
readily  have  defeated  Martell  had  the  contest  been 
fought  to  a  finish. 

"He'll  undoubtedly  lay  for  you,  Jack,"  re- 
marked Fred  that  night,  in  talking  the  matter 
over  in  their  rooms. 

"Maybe  he'll  lay  for  you,  Fred,"  smiled  his  big 
cousin.  "You  had  better  keep  your  eyes  peeled." 

"I  guess  we  had  better  all  watch  out,"  was 
Randy's  comment. 

But  for  the  next  few  days  Nappy  Martell,  as 
well  as  his  particular  crony,  Slugger  Brown,  kept 
to  themselves,  while  Codfish  was  so  timid  that  he 
hardly  dared  to  show  himself. 

About  a  week,  including  Sunday,  went  by,  and 
the  school  began  to  settle  down  to  its  regular 
routine  of  studies.  The  Rover  boys  had  had  all 


IN  THE  TOWN 


153 


their  classes  mapped  out  for  them,  and  had  also 
been  assigned  to  a  class  in  gymnasium  work. 
Gymnastics  especially  suited  the  agile  Andy,  who 
nearly  always  preferred  action  to  sitting  still. 
The  Rover  boys  on  leaving  home  had  promised 
their  parents  that  they  would  pay  strict  atten- 
tion to  their  studies,  and  now  they  did  their  best 
in  that  direction.  Of  course,  some  of  the  lessons 
were  rather  hard,  and  Fred,  being  the  youngest, 
often  found  he  needed  assistance  from  the  oth- 
ers. 

During  those  days  they  quickly  discovered  why 
Dan  Soppinger  had  been  referred  to  by  one  of 
their  friends  as  the  "human  question  mark." 
Dan  always  wanted  to  know  something,  and  he 
did  not  hesitate  to  ask  for  information  on  any 
and  all  occasions,  no  matter  what  else  might  hap- 
pen to  be  under  discussion  at  the  time. 

"He'll  die  asking  questions,"  remarked  Andy. 
"I  never  knew  a  fellow  who  could  fire  questions 
at  a  person  so  rapidly." 

It  was  now  ideal  weather  for  football,  and  as 
soon  as  the  school  became  settled  football  talk 
filled  the  air.  Gif  Garrison  had  been  at  the  head 
of  the  football  eleven  the  Fall  previous,  and  now 
he  was  looked  upon  to  whip  the  new  team  into 
shape. 

"We  generally  play  three  games  with  outside 


154         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

schools,"  explained  Gif  to  the  Rovers  one  day. 
"First  we  play  Hixley  High.  Then  we  play  the 
Clearwater  Country  Club.  And  after  that  we 
wind  up  usually  with  our  big  game  with  Colum- 
bus Academy." 

"It  must  be  great  sport,"  answered  Jack. 

"Did  you  ever  get  a  chance  to  play  football  in 
New  York?" 

"Oh,  yes,  we  occasionally  played  a  game." 

"Jack  would  make  a  first-rate  football  player 
if  he  had  the  chance,"  put  in  Randy.  "I've  seen 
him  play,  and  I  know." 

"Yes.  And  Fred  makes  a  pretty  good  player, 
too,"  added  Andy.  "Of  course,  he's  small  and 
light  in  weight,  but  he's  as  quick  on  his  feet  as 
they  make  'em." 

"How  about  you  and  Randy?"  questioned  Gif. 

"Oh,  we  never  cared  very  much  to  play  foot- 
ball. We'd  rather  have  some  fun  in  the  crowd 
looking  on,"  was  the  answer  of  the  twin. 

At  this,  the  football  leader  smiled.  "Well, 
we've  got  to  have  some  kind  of  an  audience — 
otherwise  there  wouldn't  be  any  fun  in  pulling 
off  a  game."  He  looked  at  Jack  and  Fred, 
thoughtfully.  "I'm  going  to  keep  you  two  fel- 
lows in  mind,  and  if  I  can  put  one  or  both  of 
you  on  the  team,  I'll  do  it.  Of  course,  you'll 
have  your  try-outs  on  the  scrub  first." 


IN  THE  TOWN  155 

"Well,  you  can  put  me  on  the  scrub  as  soon 
as  you  please,"  answered  Jack,  promptly. 

"I'll  be  glad  of  the  chance,"  added  Fred. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  no  sooner  had  the  boys 
attempted  to  settle  down  at  Colby  Hall  than  they 
began  to  want  for  a  number  of  things  which  they 
had  failed  to  bring  from  home.  These  articles 
were,  for  the  most  part,  of  small  consequence; 
yet  the  boys  could  not  get  along  very  well  with- 
out them,  and  so  resolved  on  the  following  Satur- 
day, which  was  a  holiday,  to  walk  down  to  Haven 
Point  and  do  some  shopping. 

"I'd  like  first  rate  to  take  a  look  around  the 
town,  too,"  said  Randy.  "It  looked  like  a  pretty 
good  sort  of  place." 

"Maybe  we  can  go  to  the  moving  picture  show 
there,"  put  in  his  brother.  "We'll  have  time 
enough." 

"Perhaps — if  the  films  look  worth  while,"  an- 
swered Jack. 

They  had  already  learned  that  the  moving  pic* 
ture  show  in  the  town  was  of  the  better  class, 
and  that  the  pupils  of  the  school  were  allowed 
to  attend  a  performance  whenever  they  had  time 
to  do  so. 

It  did  not  take  the  four  cousins  long  to  walk 
the  distance  to  Haven  Point.  They  left  the 
school  directly  after  lunch,  and  inside  of  an  hour 


156        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

had  purchased  the  various  small  articles  which 
they  desired.  Then  all  headed  for  the  moving 
picture  theater,  which  was  located  on  the  main 
street  in  the  busiest  portion  of  that  thorough- 
fare. 

As  the  boys  walked  up  to  the  booth  to  pur- 
chase their  admission  tickets,  they  saw  a  bevy  of 
girls  just  entering  the  door.  They  were  all  well 
dressed  and  chatting  gaily. 

"Nice  bunch,  all  right,"  was  Randy's  com- 
ment. "I  wonder  where  they  are  from?" 

"I  think  I  know,"  answered  Jack.  "Spouter 
was  telling  me  there  is  a  girls'  school  on  the  other 
side  of  this  town,  called  Clearwater  Hall.  It's 
about  as  large  as  Colby  Hall.  More  than  likely 
those  girls  come  from  that  school." 

"I  wish  we  knew  them,"  said  Andy.  "I  won- 
der if  some  of  the  cadets  from  our  school 
don't  know  them." 

"More  than  likely  some  of  our  fellows  know 
some  of  the  girls,"  said  Jack.  "We  may  be  able 
to  become  acquainted  with  them  some  day." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

AT  THE   MOVING   PICTURE   THEATER 

THE  moving  picture  theater  was  large  enough 
to  hold  several  hundred  people,  and  when  the 
boys  entered  they  found  the  place  almost  full. 

"There  are  some  seats — over  on  the  left,"  re- 
marked Jack,  as  he  pointed  them  out.  "Two  in 
one  row  and  two  directly  behind." 

"Why  not  two  in  one  row  and  two  directly  in 
front?"  returned  Andy,  gaily,  and  then  headed 
for  the  seats. 

"You  and  Fred  had  better  sit  in  front,  and 
Randy  and  I  can  take  the  back  seats,"  went  on 
Jack ;  and  so  it  was  arranged. 

They  had  come  in  between  pictures  and  while 
some  doors  had  been  open  for  ventilation,  so  that 
the  place  was  fairly  light.  As  Jack  took  his  seat 
he  noticed  that  the  girls  wrho  had  come  in  just 
ahead  of  the  boys  were  sitting  close  by. 

"They  certainly  do  look  like  nice  girls,"  was 
Jack's  mental  comment ;  and  he  could  not  help  but 
cast  a  second  glance  at  the  girl  sitting  directly 

157 


158        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

next  to  him.  She  was  attired  in  a  dark  blue  suit 
trimmed  in  fur  and  held  a  hat  to  match  in  her 
lap.  Jack  noted  that  she  was  fair  of  complex- 
ion, with  dark,  wavy  hair. 

"I'm  thinking  this  is  going  to  be  a  pretty  in- 
teresting picture  for  us,  Andy,"  remarked  Randy, 
as  the  name  of  the  production  was  flashed  upon 
the  screen.  "  'The  Gold  Hunter's  Secret — A 
Drama  of  the  Yukon/  "  he  read.  "That  must 
have  been  taken  in  Alaska." 

"That's  right,  Randy,"  returned  his  twin. 
"Gee!  I  hope  this  Alaskan  play  doesn't  affect  us; 
like  that  other  Alaskan  play  once  affected  dad," 
he  went  on,  referring  to  a  most  remarkable  hap- 
pening, the  details  of  which  were  given  in  "The 
Rover  Boys  in  Alaska." 

"It  isn't  likely  to,"  answered  Randy,  promptly. 
"Poor  dad  was  in  no  mental  condition  to  attend 
that  show,  Uncle  Dick  once  told  me.  He  had  been 
knocked  on  the  head  with  a  footstool,  and  that 
had  affected  his  mind." 

The  four  Rovers  were  soon  absorbed  in  the 
stirring  drama  of  the  Alaskan  gold  fields,  and  for 
the  time  being  almost  forgot  their  surroundings, 
In  the  midst  of  the  last  reel,  however,  Jack  felt 
the  girl  beside  him  stirring. 

"It's  my  hatpin,"  she  whispered.  "It  just  feli 
to  the  floor." 


AT  THE  MOVING  PICTURE  THEATER 


159 


"I'll  get  it,"  he  returned  promptly,  and  started 
to  hunt  in  the  dark.  He  had  to  get  up  and  push 
up  his  seat  before  the  hatpin  was  recovered. 

"Oh,  thank  you  very  much,"  said  the  girl 
sweetly,  when  he  presented  the  article  to  her. 

"You  are  welcome,  I'm  sure,"  returned  the 
Rover  boy ;  and  then  he  added  with  a  smile :  "Acy 
cidents  will  happen  in  the  best  of  families,  you 
know,"  and  at  this  both  the  girl  and  two  of  her 
companions  giggled. 

The  photo-drama  was  presently  finished  and 
was  followed  by  a  mirth-provoking  comedy  at 
which  the  entire  audience  laughed  heartily.  Then 
came  a  reel  of  current  events  from  various  por- 
tions of  the  globe. 

"Say,  there's  something  worth  looking  at!" 
cried  Fred,  as  a  boat  race  was  flashed  on  the 
screen. 

"Right  you  are,"  responded  Jack.  "Just  see 
those  fellows  pull !  Isn't  it  grand  ?"  he  added  en- 
thusiastically. "I'd  like  to  be  in  that  shell  my- 
self," and  he  turned  suddenly,  to  catch  the  girl 
beside  him  easting  her  eyes  in  his  direction.  She 
dropped  them  quickly,  but  her  whole  manner 
showed  that  she,  too,  was  interested,  not  only 
m  the  race,  but  in  what  Jack  had  said.  The  ca- 
dets, of  course,  were  in  uniform,  so  the  girl  knew 
they  were  from  Colby  Hall. 


160        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

The  reel  of  current  events  had  almost  come  to 
a  finish,  and  there  was  intense  silence  as  the  pic- 
ture showed  the  funeral  of  some  well-known  man 
of  the  East,  when  there  came  a  sudden  splutter 
from  the  operator's  booth  in  the  back  gallery. 
This  was  followed  by  several  flashes  of  light  and 
then  a  small  explosion. 

"What's  that?" 

"Some  explosion !" 

"The  theater's  on  fire!" 

"Let's  get  out  of  this !" 

"That's  right!  I  don't  want  to  be  burnt  to 
death!" 

Such  were  some  of  the  exclamations  which 
arose  on  the  air.  A  panic  had  seized  the  audi- 
ence, and,  like  one  person,  they  leaped  to  their 
feet  and  began  to  fight  to  get  out  of  the  theater. 
In  a  twinkling  there  was  a  crush  in  the  aisles,  and 
several  people  came  close  to  being  knocked  down 
and  trampled  upon. 

"Where's  my  hat?" 

"Get  back  there — don't  crush  these  children  !* 

"See  the  smoke  pouring  in !" 

"Open  the  side  door,  somebody !" 

"Keep  cool!  Keep  cool!"  yelled  somebody 
from  the  gallery.  "There  is  no  fire !  Keep  cool  !'* 
But  there  was  such  a  tumult  below  that  scarcely 
anybody  paid  attention  to  these  words. 


While  many  fought  to  get  out  the  way  they 
had  come  in,  others  stormed  towards  the  side 
doors  of  the  playhouse.  Meanwhile,  an  ill-smell- 
ing cloud  of  smoke  drifted  through  the  audi- 
torium. 

With  the  first  alarm  the  Rover  boys  had  leaped 
to  their  feet,  and  almost  by  instinct  the  others 
looked  to  Jack  to  see  what  he  would  do. 

"Oh,  oh!  is  the  place  on  fire?"  cried  the  girl 
who  had  been  sitting  next  to  the  oldest  Rover, 
and  she  caught  him  by  the  arm. 

"I  don't  know,"  he  answered.  "Something 
exploded  in  the  operating  room." 

"Oh,  let  us  get  out!"  came  from  one  of  the 
other  girls. 

"Yes,  yes!  I  don't  want  to  be  burnt  up!" 
wailed  a  third. 

"Don't  get  excited,"  warned  Jack.  "I  don't 
believe  there  is  any  great  danger.  There  is  no 
fire  down  here,  and  there  seem  to  be  plenty  of 
doors." 

"The  fellow  upstairs  said  to  keep  cool,"  put  in 
Randy.  "Maybe  it  won't  amount  to  much  after 
all." 

Most  of  the  lights  had  gone  out,  leaving  the 
theater  in  almost  total  darkness. 

"Come  on  for  the  side  door,"  said  Jack. 
"That's  the  nearest  way  out." 


162        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

The  smoke  from  above  was  now  settling,  and 
this  caused  many  to  cough,  while  it  made  seeing 
more  difficult  than  ever.  Jack  pushed  Fred 
ahead  of  him,  holding  one  hand  on  his  cousin's 
shoulder,  while  with  the  other  hand  he  reached 
out  and  grasped  the  wrist  of  the  girl  who  had 
been  sitting  beside  him. 

"You  had  better  come  this  way,"  he  said ;  "and 
bring  your  friends  along." 

"All  right.  But  do  hurry!"  she  pleaded.  "I 
am  so  afraid  that  something  will  happen." 

"Oh,  Ruth!  can  we  get  out?"  questioned  the 
girl  next  to  her. 

"I  don't  know.  I  hope  so,"  answered  the  girl 
addressed,  and  then  began  to  cough  slightly,  for 
the  smoke  was  steadily  growing  thicker. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  to  reach  the  side  en- 
trance, for  already  half  a  hundred  people  were 
striving  to  get  through  a  doorway  not  much  over 
two  feet  wide.  The  air  was  filled  with  screams 
and  exclamations  of  protest,  and  for  the  time  be- 
ing in  the  theater  it  was  as  if  bedlam  had  broken 
loose. 

"Are  we  all  here?"  came  from  Andy,  as,  with 
smarting  eyes,  he  tried  to  pierce  the  gloom. 

"I'm  here,"  answered  his  twin. 

"So  am  I,"  came  simultaneously  from  Jack  and 
Fred. 


AT  THE  MOVING  PICTURE  THEATER      163 

Then  Jack  turned  to  the  girl  who  was  now  be- 
side him. 

"Are  all  your  friends  with  you?" 

"I — I  think  so,"  she  faltered;  and  then  she 
added :  "Annie,  are  Alice  and  Jennie  with  you  ?" 

"Yes.  We're  all  here,"  came  from  somebody 
in  the  rear.  "But,  oh,  do  let  us  get  out!  I  can 
scarcely  breathe!" 

"I've  lost  my  hat !"  wailed  another. 

"Oh,  never  mind  your  hat,  Alice,  as  long  as  we 
get  out,"  came  from  the  girl  who  was  next  to 
Jack. 

At  last  the  crowd  at  the  doorway  thinned  out, 
and  a  moment  later  the  four  Rovers,  pushing  the 
girls  ahead  of  them,  managed  to  get  outside. 
They  found  themselves  in  a  narrow  alleyway, 
and  from  this  hurried  to  the  street  beyond. 

"Oh,  how  glad  I  am  that  we  are  out  of  there !" 
exclaimed  the  girl  who  had  been  sitting  beside 
Jack. 

"I'm  glad  myself,"  he  added,  wiping  away  the 
tears  which  the  smoke  had  started  from  his  eyes, 

"If  only  they  all  get  out  safely!"  said  one  of 
the  other  girls. 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  answered  Randy, 
seriously.  "It  was  a  bad  enough  crush  at  that 
side  door,  but  I  think  it  was  worse  at  the  front 
doors." 


164        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

By  this  time  everybody  seemed  to  be  out  of 
the  theater.  An  alarm  of  fire  had  been  sounded, 
and  now  a  local  chemical  engine,  followed  by  a. 
hook  and  ladder  company,  came  rushing  to  the 
scene.  There  was,  for  fully  ten  minutes,  a  good 
deal  of  excitement,  but  this  presently  died  down 
•when  it  was  learned  positively  that  there  was  no 
fire  outside  the  metallic  booth  from  which  the 
pictures  had  been  shown  and  where  the  small  ex- 
plosion had  occurred. 

"It  wasn't  much  of  an  explosion,"  explained 
the  manager  of  the  theater.  "It  was  more  smoke 
than  anything  else." 

"Yes.  And  I  yelled  to  the  crowd  that  there 
was  no  fire  and  that  they  must  keep  cool,"  added 
the  man  who  had  been  operating  the  moving  pic- 
ture machine. 

In  the  excitement  several  people  had  been 
knocked  down,  but  fortunately  nobody  had  been 
hurt.  A  number  of  articles  of  wearing  apparel 
had  been  left  in  the  theater. 

"I  wish  I  could  get  my  hat,"  said  the  girl 
named  Alice,  wistfully.  "I  don't  want  to  go 
back  to  school  bareheaded." 

"What  kind  of  a  hat  was  it?"  questioned 
Randy,  who  stood  beside  her.  "Maybe  I  can 
get  it  for  you ;"  and  then,  after  the  girl  had  given 
him  a  description  of  the  head  covering,  he  went 


AT  THE  MOVING  PICTURE  THEATER      165 

off  to  question  one  of  the  theater  men  about  it. 
In  a  few  minutes  more  he  came  back  with  the 
missing  property. 

After  Randy  returned,  the  boys  introduced 
themselves  to  the  girls,  and  learned  that  all  of 
the  latter  were  scholars  at  Clearwater  Hall.  The 
leader  of  the  party  was  Ruth  Stevenson,  who  had 
sat  next  to  Jack,  while  her  friends  were  Annie 
Larkins,  Alice  Strobell,  Jennie  Mason  and  May 
Powell. 

"I  know  a  fellow  named  Powell  quite  well," 
remarked  Jack,  as  the  last-named  girl  was  intro- 
duced. "He  goes  to  our  school.  His  name  is 
Dick,  but  we  all  call  him  Spouter." 

"Dick  Powell  is  my  cousin,"  answered  May. 
And  then  she  added  smilingly :  "I've  heard  of  you 
Rover  boys  before." 

"Yes,  and  I've  heard  of  you,  too,"  broke  in 
Ruth  Stevenson. 

"And  who  told  you  about  us  ?"  questioned  Jack. 

"Why,  a  big  boy  at  your  school — the  head  of 
the  football  team." 

"Oh!  do  you  know  Gif  Garrison?" 

"Yes.     I  suppose  you  know  him  quite  well?" 

"Well,  I  should  say  so !"  declared  Jack.  "Why, 
my  cousin  Fred  here  is  named  after  Gif  Garri- 
son's father.  His  father  and  my  father  were 
school  chums." 


i66 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


"Oh!  Why  then  we  know  a  lot  of  the  same 
people,  don't  we?  How  nice!"  returned  Ruth 
Stevenson,  and  smiled  frankly  at  Jack. 

After  that  the  talk  between  the  boys  and  the 
girls  became  general,  and  each  crowd  told  the 
other  of  how  matters  were  going  at  their  own  par- 
ticular school. 

"Yes,  I've  been  up  to  Colby  Hall  several  times 
to  see  the  baseball  and  the  football  games,"  said 
Ruth  to  Jack  in  answer  to  his  question.  "It's  cer- 
tainly a  splendid  place." 

"Some  day,  if  you  don't  mind,  I'll  come  over 
and  take  a  look  at  Clearwater  Hall,"  he  an- 
swered. 

"Clearwater  Hall!  Say,  that  must  be  a  fine 
place  to  get  a  drink !"  piped  in  Andy ;  and  at  this 
little  jok«  all  of  the  girls  giggl«d. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THK  GIRLS   FROM    CLEARWATER   HALL 

THE  Rover  boys  remained  with  the  girls  from 
Clearwater  Hall  for  the  best  part  of  half  an  hour 
after  the  scare  at  the  moving  picture  theater, 
and  during  that  time  the  young  folks  became 
quite  well  acquainted. 

"We'll  have  to  be  getting  back  to  our  school 
now,"  said  Ruth  Stevenson,  presently. 

"Oh,  what's  your  hurry?"  pleaded  Jack. 
"Weren't  you  going  to  stay  to  the  pictures?" 

"No.  We  were  going  to  leave  immediately 
after  that  reel  they  were  showing  when  the  ex- 
plosion occurred,"  the  girl  replied. 

"Well,  we've  got  to  get  back  to  Colby  Hall 
in  time  for  supper;  but  we  can  make  that  easily 
enough — we  are  all  good  walkers." 

"I  should  think  you  would  ride  in  your  auto- 
stage,"  put  in  Alice  Strobell.  "I'd  ride  if  we  had 
a  stage  handy." 

"The  stage  isn't  down  here  now,"  answered 
Randy.    "It  only  comes  on  order." 
167 


168         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

The  four  boys  walked  with  the  girls  to  the  end 
of  a  side  street  of  the  town,  and  there  the  pupils 
from  Clearwater  Hall  stopped  to  say  good-bye. 

"We  are  very  thankful  for  what  you  did  for 
us  at  the  theater,"  said  Ruth  Stevenson.  "You 
were  very  kind,  indeed." 

"You  are  regular  heroes !"  burst  out  May  Pow- 
ell, who  by  her  merry  eyes  showed  that  she  was 
almost  as  full  of  fun  as  were  the  Rover  twins. 
"I'm  going  to  write  to  Spouter  and  let  him  know 
all  about  it." 

"And  don't  forget  to  mention  the  rescue  of  my 
hat,"  added  Alice  Strobell  with  a  giggle. 

"I  hope  I  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you 
again,  Miss  Stevenson,"  said  Jack,  in  an  aside 
to  the  oldest  girl  of  the  party. 

"Well,  maybe,"  she  returned,  looking  at  him 
frankly. 

"I've  enjoyed  this  afternoon  very  much — in 
spite  of  that  excitement." 

"Oh,  so  have  I!"  and  now  she  cast  down  her 
eyes  while  a  faint  flush  stole  into  her  cheeks. 

"We  won't  dare  say  much  about  that  trouble 
in  the  theater  when  we  get  back  to  school,"  re- 
marked Jennie  Mason. 

"That's  right !"  burst  out  Annie  Larkins.  "If 
we  did,  maybe  Miss  Garwood  would  refuse  to  let 
us  attend  any  more  performances." 


THE  GIRLS  FROM  CLEARWATER  HALL    169 

"Is  Miss  Garwood  the  head  of  your  school?" 
questioned  Randy. 

"Yes.  And  let  me  tell  you,  she  is  a  very  par- 
ticular and  precise  woman." 

"I  guess  she  isn't  as  precise  and  particular  as 
one  of  our  professors,"  was  Andy's  comment. 

"Oh!  do  you  mean  that  teacher  they  call  old 
Lemon  ?"  cried  May  Powell. 

"Yes." 

"We've  met  him  a  number  of  times.  What 
a  ridiculous  man  he  is !  I  don't  understand  why 
Colonel  Colby  keeps  him." 

"I  saw  you  look  at  me  when  I  spoke  about  that 
boat  race,"  said  Jack  to  Ruth  Stevenson.  "Maybe 
you  like  to  be  out  on  the  water?" 

"Oh,  I  do — very  much!  You  know  we  have 
boats  at  the  school,  and  I  often  go  out  with  my 
friends." 

"I  like  to  row  myself.  Perhaps  some  day  you'd 
like  to  go  out  with  me  ?"  went  on  the  oldest  Rover, 
boldly. 

"I'd  have  to  ask  permission  first,"  answered 

the  girl,  and  then  dropped  her  eyes.     Evidently, 

(  however,  the  tentative  invitation  pleased  her. 

'      As  was  to  be  expected,  the  parting  between 

the  boys  and  the  girls  was  a  rather  prolonged 

affair,  and  it  looked  as  if  everybody  was  highly 

pleased  with  everybody  else.     But  at  last  Annie 


170         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

Larkins  looked  at  a  wrist  watch  she  wore  and 
gave  a  little  shriek. 

"Oh,  girls,  we  must  be  going!  We  ought  to 
be  at  the  school  this  minute !" 

'Then  here  is  where  we  start  the  walking  act," 
declared  May  Powell.  "Good-bye,  everybody!" 
and  away  she  hurried,  leaving  the  others  to  trail 
behind  her. 

"Don't  forget  about  the  row,"  said  Jack  in  a 
low  tone  to  Ruth  Stevenson. 

"I'll  remember — if  I  get  the  chance,"  she  re- 
turned; and  in  a  moment  more  all  of  the  girls 
were  gone  and  the  boys  retraced  their  steps  to 
the  center  of  the  town. 

"Pretty  nice  bunch,"  was  Randy's  comment. 

"It's  funny  that  Spouter  Powell  never  told  us 
he  had  such  a  nice  cousin,"  came  from  Fred. 

"Hello,  Fred's  already  smitten!"  cried  Jack, 
gaily. 

"Huh !  you  needn't  talk,"  retorted  the  youngest 
Rover.  "How  about  yourself?  Didn't  I  catch 
you  trying  to  make  a  date  with  that  Ruth  Steven- 
son?" 

"Oh,  say,  Fred !  your  ears  are  too  big  for  your 
head,"  retorted  Jack,  growing  red,  while  Andy 
and  Randy  looked  at  each  other  suggestively. 

By  this  time  the  excitement  around  the  mov- 
ing picture  theater  had  died  away  completely  and 


THE  GIRLS  FROM  CLEARWATER  HALL    171 

the  crowd  had  disappeared.  The  front  doors 
were  closed,  but  the  manager  was  just  hanging 
otit  a  sign  to  the  effect  that  the  evening  perform- 
ances would  be  given  as  usual. 

"I  guess  it  was  a  big  scare  for  nothing,"  was 
Randy's  comment. 

"The  audience  can  be  thankful  that  they  got 
out  without  anybody  being  hurt,"  returned  Jack. 

The  boys  made  a  few  more  purchases  in  Haven 
Point,  and  then  started  back  for  Colby  Hall. 

"I  wonder  if  those  girls  go  to  church  in  Haven 
Point  on  Sundays,"  remarked  Jack,  just  before 
the  Hall  was  reached. 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Andy.  "More  than 
likely."  His  eyes  began  to  twinkle.  "Thinking 
of  going  to  church  yourself,  Jack?" 

"Didn't  we  go  to  church  when  we  were  at 
home,  Andy?" 

"Sure,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"I  think  we  can  find  out  from  Spouter  or  from 
some  of  the  other  cadets,"  answered  Fred.  "I 
know  the  boys  are  allowed  to  go  to  whatever 
church  they  please  on  Sundays."  It  may  be  as 
well  to  add  here  that  on  week  days  regular  chapel 
exercises  were  held  at  Colby  Hall  before  the  or- 
dinary classes  were  in  session. 

From  Spouter  Jack  received  the  information 
he  desired,  which  was  to  the  effect  that  his  cousin 


172         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

May  and  a  number  of  her  chums  generally  at- 
tended a  church  on  the  outskirts  of  Haven  Point 
in  the  direction  of  Clearwater  Hall 

"If  you  say  so,  I'll  go  with  you  there  to-mor- 
row morning,"  continued  Spouter;  and  so  the 
matter  was  arranged.  At  the  church  the  cadets 
heard  a  very  good  sermon,  and  after  the  services 
had  the  pleasure  of  strolling  with  the  girls  as  far 
as  the  entrance  to  their  school  grounds. 

Monday  morning  found  the  Rovers  once  more 
down  to  the  grind  of  lessons.  So  far  they  had 
gotten  along  very  well.  But  on  Tuesday  the  un- 
fortunate Andy  had  another  run-in  with  Asa 
Lemm. 

"This  won't  do  at  all,  Rover,"  stormed  the  pro- 
fessor, after  Andy  had  given  the  wrong  answer 
to  a  question.  "You  must  pay  more  attention  to 
your  studies." 

"I'm  doing  the  best  I  can,  Professor,"  pleaded 
the  youth. 

"Nonsense !  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it.  They 
tell  me  you  spend  most  of  your  time  in  horse- 
play. Now,  that  won't  do  at  all.  You  must 
buckle  down  to  your  studies  or  I  shall  have  to  take 
you  in  hand ;"  and  Professor  Lemm  glared  at  the 
lad  as  if  ready  to  devour  him. 

"Say,  Andy,  you'll  have  to  toe  the  chalk  mark 
after  this/'  whispered  his  twin.  "If  you -" 


THE  GIRLS  FROM  CLEARWATER  HALL    173 

"Silence  there !  I  will  have  silence !"  cried  Asa 
Lemm,  pounding  on  his  desk  with  a  paper  weight. 

"I'll  have  one  grand  smash-up  with  that  man 
some  day,"  was  Andy's  comment  in  speaking  of 
the  affair  after  the  school  session  had  closed.  "I 
can't  stand  his  arbitrary  ways." 

"Oh,  he's  a  lemon — and  worse,"  returned  his 
brother. 

During  that  week  there  was  an  election  of  of- 
ficers for  the  school  battalion,  composed  of  Com- 
pany A  and  Company  B.  The  Rover  boys,  being 
freshmen,  could  not  compete  for  any  position, 
even  had  they  so  desired;  but  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  electioneering  among  the  cadets,  and  the 
lads  got  quite  a  lot  of  fun  out  of  it.  The  an- 
nouncement of  who  was  elected  was  followed  by 
a  parade  around  the  grounds  and  an  unusually 
good  supper  in  the  mess  hall.  Then  the  boys 
were  allowed  to  gather  at  one  end  of  the  parade 
ground  near  the  river,  where  they  soon  had  sev- 
eral large  bonfires  burning,  around  which  they 
danced,  sang,  and  cut  up  to  their  hearts'  con- 
tent. 

The  election  had  been  a  bitter  disappointment 
to  Slugger  Brown  and  Nappy  Martell.  Each 
had  wanted  to  be  an  officer  of  the  battalion,  and 
each  had  failed  to  get  the  required  number  of 
votes. 


174 

"It's  that  Gif  Garrison-Spouter  Powell  crowd 
that  did  it,"  muttered  Slugger  Brown.  "I  saw 
'em  working  like  troopers  to  defeat  us." 

"Yes.  And  those  Rover  boys  worked  against 
both  of  you,  too,"  piped  in  Codfish,  who  was 
present.  "I  watched  'em  do  it.  They  went  all 
around  among  the  fellows  they  know  electioneer- 
ing for  the  others  who  were  running." 

"It  would  be  just  like  them  to  do  it,"  mut- 
tered Nappy  Martell,  gloomily. 

"I  thought  you  were  going  to  fight  that  Jack 
Rover  to  a  finish  some  day?"  questioned  the 
sneak  of  the  school. 

"So  I  am — when  I  get  the  chance,'*  returned 
Martell. 

As  soon  as  the  election  of  officers  was  set- 
tled, the  minds  of  a  certain  number  of  cadets 
turned  to  football.  Gif  Garrison  was  busy  ar- 
ranging his  teams  and  placing  the  names  of  the 
players  up  on  a  big  board  in  the  gymnasium. 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Fred,  bursting  in  on  Jack 
one  afternoon  while  the  latter  was  busy  in  his 
room  studying  the  next  day's  lessons.  "Our 
names  are  up  on  the  board,  Jack !  Gif  has  put  us 
up  for  a  try-out  on  the  scrub  eleven !" 

"Is  that  so!"  exclaimed  his  cousin,  his  face 
showing  his  satisfaction.  "Are  you  sure?" 

"I  am.    I  just  came  from  the  gymnasium.    We 


THE  GIRLS  FROM  CLEARWATER  HALL    175 

are  to  report  for  practice  to-morrow  afternoon 
at  four  o'clock." 

"Is  Andy  or  Randy  up?" 

"No.  You  remember  they  told  Gif  they  didn't 
want  to  play  football  this  season." 

The  Rover  boys  soon  learned  that  not  only 
Gif  but  also  Spouter,  Ned  Lowe,  Walt  Baxter, 
and  Slugger  Brown  were  on  the  regular  eleven. 
The  scrub  team  was  made  up  largely  from  the 
freshmen  class,  although  Dan  Soppinger  and  a 
few  others  of  the  older  cadets  who  had  never 
played  on  the  first  team  were  also  included. 

"Now,  I  want  all  of  you  to  do  your  very  best," 
said  Gif,  at  the  close  of  a  long  talk  to  the  boys 
on  what  was  required  of  them.  "We'll  have  noth- 
ing but  squad  work  first,  and  then  a  game  or  two- 
just  to  find  out  how  matters  are  shaping  them- 
selves." 

As  an  aid  Gif  had  Mr.  Crews,  the  gymnasium 
instructor,  who  in  his  younger  days  had  been 
quite  a  football  player.  Between  the  pair  mat- 
ters took  shape  rapidly,  and  by  the  end  of  the 
week  the  scrub  was  in  shape  to  play  a  game 
against  the  regulars. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  this  opening  contest 
was  a  decidedly  ragged  one,  even  the  regular 
team  making  many  plays  which  caused  hearty 
laughter. 


176         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"You  fellows  have  all  got  to  do  better  if  we 
want  to  win  any  matches,"  declared  Gif.  "Now 
then,  go  at  it  as  if  you  meant  it  and  see  that  you 
mind  the  rules."  And  after  that  the  playing 
showed  gradual  improvement. 

Colonel  Colby  had  not  forgotten  his  own  foot- 
ball days,  and  one  afternoon  he  came  down  to  the 
field  to  see  what  progress  his  pupils  were  mak- 
ing. 

"Be  on  the  alert  when  the  signals  are  given," 
he  said.  "The  signals,"  he  added,  "count  for  a 
good  deal." 

With  the  master  of  the  school  present,  the  ca- 
dets put  forth  renewed  efforts  and  the  playing 
became  actually  snappy.  There  were  several  well- 
earned  runs,  and  once  Jack  managed  to  kick  a 
goal  from  the  field  which  brought  forth  consid- 
erable applause. 

"Keep  it  up,  Jack!  You're  doing  fine!"  were 
Gif's  encouraging  words. 

"Thanks.  I'll  do  the  best  I  know  how,"  was 
the  rejoinder. 

Fred  was  also  working  hard,  and  a  little  later 
he  made  a  run  which  netted  the  scrub  team  fif- 
teen yards. 

"Fine !    Fine !"  cried  his  cousin  encouragingly. 

"That  was  well  played,"  announced  Gif.  "But 
I  want  every  man  on  the  field  to  do  better  than  he 


THE  GIRLS  FROM  CLEARWATER  HALL    177 

has  been  doing,"  he  added,  stiffening  up,  for  he 
knew  that  a  captain  can  only  get  out  of  his  men 
the  best  that  is  in  them  by  thus  urging  them  on. 

During  several  of  the  plays  Jack  had  come  into 
contact  with  Slugger  Brown,  and  the  big  fellow 
showed  that  he  had  no  friendly  feeling  for  the 
Rover  boy. 

"You  be  careful,"  warned  Jack,  when  Brown 
started  once  to  tackle  him  unfairly.  But  the  big 
fellow  merely  grinned  in  a  sarcastic  fashion. 
Then,  less  than  two  minutes  later  and  while  there 
was  a  wild  rush  on,  Slugger  Brown,  by  a  side- 
long and  unexpected  leap,  hurled  Jack  to  the 
ground  and  spiked  him  ia  the  leg  with  his  shoe. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

SLUGGER   BROWN    IS   EXPOSED 

To  be  thrown  down  so  violently  wa-.  bad 
enough,  but  to  be  spiked  in  the  leg  hurt  so  much 
that  Jack  could  not  repress  a  gasp  of  pain. 

"Get  off  of  me,  Brown!"  he  panted  when  he 
could  speak.  "What  do  you  mean  by  spiking  me 
that  way?" 

"Didn't  spike  you!"  retorted  Slugger  Brown, 
scowling  viciously* 

The  whistle  blew  and  Gif  came  running  to- 
wards the  pair.  "What's  the  matter?"  he  de- 
manded. 

"Erown  tackled  me  unfairly  and  then  spiked 
me,"  answered  Jack. 

"It's  false !"  roared  the  accused  one.  "I  threw 
him  down  according  to  the  rules  and  I  didn't 
spike  him  at  all !" 

The  pain  irr  Jack's  leg  was  so  intense  that  he 
could  hardly  stand.  Fred  and  some  others  came 
rushing  to  his  assistance,  and  between  them  he 
managed  to  hobble  to  a  bench  at  the  side  of  the 

178 


SLUGGER  BROWN  IS  EXPOSED  179 

football  field.  A  crowd  began  to  collect,  and  all 
wanted  to  know  what  had  gone  wrong. 

"Let  us  take  a  look  at  your  leg,  Rover,"  said 
Mr.  Crews.  "That  will  show  whether  you  were 
spiked  or  not."  The  limb  was  exposed,  and  then 
a  cry  of  dismay  went  up. 

"Why,  look  there — it's  all  bloody!  Slugger 
Brown  must  have  spiked  him  for  keeps !" 

"That's  a  shame — if  he  did  it  on  purpose.  He 
has  no  right  to  have  spikes  in  his  shoes." 

"I  didn't  do  it  on  purpose!  It  was  an  acci- 
dent!" cried  the  accused  player.  "I  didn't  know 
I  had  spiked  him  or  that  I  had  spikes.  Maybe 
he  cut  himself  on  a  stone  or  something  like  that." 

"No ;  he  has  been  spiked,"  announced  the  gym- 
nasium instructor,  after  examining  the  wound. 
"Come,  Rover;  we'll  go  to  the  gymnasium  and 
I'll  attend  to  that  and  bind  it  up  for  you." 

"You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,  Brown, 
for  doing  such  a  thing  to  my  cousin,"  said  Fred. 

"That's  right!"  broke  in  Randy,  who  had 
come  up. 

"You  stop  your  talking!"  answered  Slugger 
Brown,  uneasily.  "It  was  an  accident,  I  tell  you. 
Anybody  on  the  team  might  have  done  it." 

Colonel  Colby  had  been  on  the  other  side  of 
the  field,  but  now  he  came  hurrying  forward  to 
see  what  was  amiss.  He  told  Mr.  Crews  to  do 


l8o        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

everything  that  was  necessary  for  Jack,  and  then 
turned  to  Gif. 

"I  think  it  would  be  as  well  for  you  to  retire 
Brown  for  the  present,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

"Just  what  I  was  going  to  do,"  answered  the 
football  captain  quickly.  "We'll  have  to  investi- 
gate this  matter  after  the  game  is  over." 

"I  don't  see  why  I  should  be  put  off  the  team !" 
cried  Slugger  Brown,  when  notified  that  a  substi- 
tute would  take  his  place.  "It  was  an  accident 
and  nothing  else." 

"We'll  see  about  that  later,  Brown,"  answered 
Gif  briefly.  "Anyway,  you  had  no  right  to  have 
spikes  on  your  shoes." 

With  one  substitute  in  place  of  Brown  and  an- 
other playing  Jack's  position,  the  game  went  on 
and  came  to  a  finish  in  favor  of  the  regular  team 
by  a  score  of  22  to  1 6. 

"Not  such  a  very  good  showing  for  the  regu- 
lars," was  Gif's  comment. 

"Maybe,  if  Jack  had  been  in  shape  to  play,  wt* 
might  have  beaten  you,"  remarked  Fred,  grimly. 

"Oh,  I'm  not  willing  to  admit  that,"  answered 
the  football  captain.  "Just  the  same,  some  of 
you  fellows  on  the  scrub  did  very  well,  indeed. 
I'm  going  to  continue  to  keep  my  eyes  on  all  of 
you." 

Down  in  the  gymnasium  the  wound  infficted 


SLUGGER  BROWN  IS  EXPOSED  181 

fey  the  spikes  in  Slugger  Brown's  shoe  had  been 
carefully  washed  and  dressed  by  Mr.  Crews  and 
then  bandaged. 

"I  don't  think  you'll  have  any  great  trouble 
from  it,  Rover,"  remarked  the  gymnasium  in- 
structor. "But,  just  the  same,  you  had  better 
favor  that  leg  for  a  few  days." 

"Then  you  wouldn't  advise  me  to  play  foot- 
ball?" questioned  Jack  in  dismay. 

"Not  for  the  next  few  days.  After  that  I 
think  you'll  be  all  right." 

As  soon  as  the  game  was  over,  Gif,  aided  by 
Mr.  Crews,  began  an  investigation,  closely  ques- 
tioning all  of  the  players  and  those  looking  on 
who  had  seen  the  encounter  between  Brown  and 
Jack.  Of  course,  there  were  various  versions  of 
the  affair,  but  the  consensus  of  opinions  seemed 
to  be  that  the  tackle  had  been  an  unfair  one  and 
that  Brown  could  have  avoided  spiking  Jack  had 
he  been  more  careful.  It  was  likewise  consid- 
ered unfair  to  use  spiked  shoes  even  in  a  practice 
game. 

"I  guess  he  did  it  just  to  be  nasty,"  said  Gif 
to  Mr.  Crews.  "You  see,  he  and  Nappy  MarteK 
and  that  crowd  are  all  down  on  the  Rovers." 

"I  know  nothing  about  the  quarrels  between 
the  cadets,"  was  Mr.  Crews'  reply.  T'But  I  do 
know  that  spiking  anyone  on  purpose  cannoi  be 


182         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

permitted  in  this  institution.  I  recommend,  Gar- 
rison, that  Brown  be  suspended  from  the  team.'* 

This  was  going  a  little  further  than  Gif  had 
anticipated.  He  knew  that  Brown  was  a  fairly 
good  player,  carrying  considerable  weight,  and 
that  the  cadet's  heart  would  be  almost  broken  if 
he  was  taken  out  of  the  games  entirely. 

"Don't  you  think,  Mr.  Crews,  it  would  be  go- 
ing far  enough  if  I  put  him  on  the  bench  with 
the  substitutes  ?"  he  pleaded.  "To  be  thrown  out 
of  the  team  entirely  is  a  terrible  blow  for  any 
one." 

"But  we  expect  our  cadets  to  act  like  young 
gentlemen  and  not  like  brutes,  Garrison,"  re- 
turned the  gymnastic  instructor  warmly.  "How- 
ever, if  you  wish  to  place  Brown  among  the  sub- 
stitutes, I  will  not  oppose  you.  His  weight  might 
help  you  to  win  some  game  if  it  was  running  very 
close  and  some  of  your  best  players  dropped  out." 
And  so  it  was  arranged. 

Slugger  Brown  had  been  very  anxious  to  know 
what  the  outcome  of  the  matter  would  be.  He 
was  far  from  appeased  when  he  received  the  noti- 
fication that,  while  he  would  be  retained  on  the 
regular  team,  it  would  be  only  as  a  substitute. 

"A  substitute,  eh?"  he  said  sarcastically  to 
Gif.  "So  that  is  the  way  you  are  going  to  punish 
me  for  something  that  couldn't  be  helped." 


SLUGGER  BROWN  IS  EXPOSED  183 

"Mr.  Crews  and  I  went  into  the  details  of  the 
affair,  Brown,"  answered  the  football  captain. 
"Mr.  Crews  wanted  to  put  you  off  the  team  en- 
tirely. It  was  only  through  my  efforts  that  you 
are  to  remain  as  a  substitute." 

"I've  been  the  mainstay  of  our  football  eleven 
ever  since  it  was  organized!"  stormed  Slugger 
Brown.  "I  helped  to  win  every  victory  that  came 
our  way." 

"I'm  not  denying  that  you  play  well.  But,  just 
the  same,  if  you'll  remember,  you've  been  warned 
of  your  brutal  attacks  before.  In  that  game  with 
Hixley  High  last  Fall,  the  left  tackle  said,  if  you 
will  remember,  that  you  ought  to  be  handed  over 
to  the  police.  Now  Mr.  Crews  says — and  I  agree 
with  him — that  we've  got  to  play  in  a  clean-cut 
fashion,  free  from  all  needless  brutality." 

"Bah!  I  won't  listen  to  you,"  howled  Slug- 
ger Brown.  "You're  in  with  those  Rovers,  and 
that  whole  crowd  is  down  on  me  just  because  I 
am  chummy  with  Nappy  Martell.  I  won't  stand 
for  it!  If  I  can't  play  on  the  regular  team,  I 
won't  play  at  all !" 

"Very  well  then,  you  can  suit  yourself  about 
that,"  answered  Gif ;  and  to  avoid  further  argu- 
ment he  walked  away,  leaving  the  big  youth  in 
anything  but  a  pleasant  frame  of  mind. 

The  interview  had  taken  place  in  the  gymnas- 


184        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

ium,  and  presently  Slugger  Brown  was  joined  by 
Nappy  Martell  and  three  or  four  other  cronies, 
including  Codfish. 

"It's  an  outrage!"  was  Kartell's  comment, 
when  Slugger  had  told  of  what  had  occurred.  "I 
wouldn't  stand  for  it!  No  wonder  you  told  him 
you  wouldn't  play  on  the  eleven  any  more." 

"A  team  that  has  got  a  captain  like  that  doesn't 
deserve  to  win,"  was  the  comment  of  one  of  the 
other  cadets. 

"Say,  Slugger,  why  don't  you  get  to  work  and 
see  if  you  can't  boost  Gif  Garrison  out  of  his 
place  ?  He  has  no  more  right  to  be  captain  of  the; 
eleven  than  you  have." 

"Easy  enough  to  say,"  growled  Brown.  "BtK 
Garrison  has  too  many  of  the  fellows  under  his 
thumb.  Oh,  I  don't  care — they  can  go  to  grc:^ 
with  their  old  football  games !"  And  then  Slug- 
ger Brown  stalked  off  by  himself  to  nurse  his 
wrath  as  best  he  could.  He  was  very  bitter 
against  Jack. 

"It's  all  that  Rover  boy's  fault,"  he  muttered 
to  himself.  "I  don't  wonder  Nappy  is  down  on 
that  crowd." 

The  recent  cold  snap  had  given  way  to  weather 
that  was  quite  balmy ;  and,  being  unable  to  put  in 
his  off  time  in  football  practice,  Jack  remembered 
what  he  had  said  to  Ruth  Stevenson  about  a  row 


SLUGGER  BROWN  IS  EXPOSED  185 

on  the  river.  He  consulted  with  Fred,  and  then 
the  pair  managed  to  get  a  message  to  both  Ruth 
and  May  Powell;  and  in  return  received  word 
that  the  two  girls  would  be  pleased  to  go  out  the 
following  afternoon  about  four  o'clock. 

"Gee !  you  fellows  will  have  a  dandy  time,"  re- 
marked Randy,  when  he  heard  of  this.  "Why 
didn't  you  let  us  know  ?" 

"Four  in  one  of  those  rowboats  is  about 
enough,"  answered  Jack.  "But  if  you  and  Andy 
want  to  go  out,  why  don't  you  get  another  boat 
and  send  word  to  a  couple  of  the  other  girls?" 

"All  right!  Let's  do  it,"  answered  Andy, 
quickly;  and  the  upshot  of  the  matter  was  that 
they  telephoned  over  to  Clearwater  Hall  and 
made  an  arrangement  with  Alice  Strobell  and 
Annie  Larkins. 

"It's  a  shame  we  can't  ask  Jennie  Mason,  too," 
said  Randy,  who  remembered  the  fifth  girl  who 
had  been  in  the  crowd  at  the  moving  picture 
theater. 

"You  won't  have  to  worry  about  Jennie,"  an- 
swered Alice  Strobell,  over  the  telephone.  "She 
has  a  date  with  somebody  else." 

The  Rover  boys  had  already  arranged  about 
the  boats,  and  promptly  on  time  they  set  off  down 
the  river  in  the  direction  of  the  lake.  They  had 
to  row  past  the  several  docks  of  the  town,  and 


186        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

then  drew  up  at  a  small  wharf,  leading  up  to  the 
Clearwater  Hall  grounds. 

When  the  girls  appeared,  they  were  accom- 
panied by  one  of  the  teachers,  who  had  been  sent 
down,  evidently,  for  the  purpose  of  looking  the 
cadets  over. 

"Now  remember,  do  not  stay  out  any  later 
than  six  o'clock,"  said  the  teacher,  as  the  girls 
were  entering  the  two  rowboats,  assisted  by  the 
boys. 

"Oh,  we'll  have  to  come  back  a  little  before 
that  time,"  answered  Jack.  "You  see,  we  are 
due  at  Colby  Hall  at  that  hour." 

"Very  well  then,"  said  the  teacher.  "I  trust 
you  all  have  a  pleasant  time,"  and  she  smiled. 

"Oh,  we'll  have  a  good  time — don't  worry,'* 
sang  out  Andy,  gaily. 

"To  be  sure  we  will,"  echoed  May  Powell. 

And  then,  with  the  girls  safely  seated  in  the 
two  rowboats,  the  boys  took  up  the  oars,  and  the 
little  outing  on  Clearwater  Lake  was  begun. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A   SQUALL   ON   THE   LAKE 

"IT'S  too  bad  we  don't  happen  to  have  a  motor 
boat  up  here,"  remarked  Jack,  as  he  and  Fred 
bent  to  the  oars  of  their  rowboat 

"You  mustn't  work  too  hard/'  came  from 
Ruth. 

"I  wasn't  thinking  of  that,"  answered  the  old- 
est Rover  boy  quickly.  "I  was  only  thinking  if 
we  had  a  motor  boat  we  could  go  farther." 

"They  are  going  to  have  a  motor  boat  or  two 
at  Colby  Hall  next  Spring — I  heard  Colonel 
Colby  speaking  about  it,"  put  in  Fred. 

"That  will  be  very  fine,"  remarked  May.  "I 
suppose  you'll  give  us  a  ride  once  in  a  while?" 
she  added,  her  eyes  twinkling. 

"Sure !"  responded  the  youngest  Rover,  quickry. 

"Hi — over  there!"  came  from  Andy,  as  he 
and  his  twin  bent  to  the  oars.  "Want  to  race?" 

"Of  course — rf  you'd  like  to !"  responded  Jack. 

"Oh,  a  race!"  exclaimed  Alice  StrobelL 
"Won't  that  be  fine!" 

187 


188        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"There  won't  be  any  danger,  will  there  ?"  ques- 
tioned Annie  Larkins,  anxiously. 

"No  danger  whatever,  so  long  as  we  keep  far 
enough  apart,"  answered  Randy.  "And  we'll  do 
that,  because  we  expect  to  leave  them  far  behind." 

"Not  much  you  won't  leave  us  behind!"  re- 
torted Fred.  And  then  he  added:  "Are  you 
ready?" 

"Wait  a  minute  until  we  have  the  young  ladies 
seated  just  right,"  answered  Andy.  And  then, 
turning  to  the  two  girls  in  the  boat  with  him,  he 
continued  gaily:  "Now  sit  right  in  the  center  of 
the  boat,  please;  and  be  sure  to  have  your  hair 
parted  exactly  in  the  middle;"  and  at  this  both 
girls  shrieked  with  laughter. 

With  their  passengers  seated  to  their  satisfac- 
tion, the  four  Rovers  prepared  for  the  race. 

"Where  are  we  going  to  race  to?"  questioned 
Jack. 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Randy.  "Can  wKp 
of  you  tell  me?"  he  went  on,  appealing  to  the 
pupils  from  Clearwater  Hall. 

"You  might  race  to  the  near  end  of  Foxtail 
}  Island,"  suggested  Ruth,  and  pointed  to  an  island 
some  distance  down  the  lake. 

"That  suits !"  cried  Jack. 

"The  first  one  to  reach  the  dock  at  the  end 
of  the  island  wins  the  race,"  announced  May. 


A  SQUALL  ON  THE  LAKE  189 

"And  what's  the  prize?"  questioned  Fred. 

"Oh,  the  prize  will  be  the  pleasure  of  rowing 
back,"  answered  May,  and  at  this  little  joke  there 
was  a  general  laugh. 

"Now  please  don't  tip  us  overboard,"  pleaded 
Alice. 

"Nary  a  tip,"  answered  Randy. 

"We're  not  looking  for  tips,"  broke  in  Andy, 
quickly.  "We  are  going  to  do  this  free,  gratis, 
for  nothing,"  and  at  this  pun  there  was  another 
laugh.  Then  Jack  gave  the  signal,  and  away  the 
two  rowboats  started  on  the  race. 

Of  course,  it  was  only  a  friendly  affair,  and 
none  of  the  boys  rowed  as  hard  as  he  would  have 
done  in  a  regular  contest.  Nevertheless,  each 
craft  made  good  progress  over  the  sparkli»g 
waters  of  the  lake. 

"Oh,  my!  you  certainly  can  row,"  remarked 
Ruth  to  Jack  and  Fred,  as  their  craft  drew  ahead. 

"Oh,  we're  not  warmed  up  yet,"  was  Jack's 
reply. 

"We  could  do  much  better  if  we  were  in  reg- 
ular rowing  togs,"  explained  Fred. 

"Hi  you!  What  do  you  mean  by  going 
ahead?"  piped  out  Randy.  "Come  on,  Andy,  or 
they'll  beat  us." 

"Maybe  they  can  beat  a  drum,  but  they  can't 
beat  us,"  cried  Andy. 


190         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

And  then  he  and  his  twin  increased  their  strokes 
so  that  presently  their  boat  was  once  more  be- 
side the  other. 

The  girls  were  as  much  interested  as  the  boys 
in  the  impromptu  race,  and  they  soon  began  to 
shout  words  of  encouragement. 

"Pull !  pull !"  we're  going  to  win !"  cried  May. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it !  Our  boat  will  get  there  first !" 
tang  out  Alice. 

"You  can't  beat  us !"  came  from  Annie. 

"He  crows  best  who  crows  last,"  cried  Ruth. 

"Right  you  are!"  came  pantingly  from  Jack; 
and  then,  as  he  saw  the  look  of  encouragement  in 
Ruth's  face,  he  redoubled  his  efforts.  Fred  did 
the  same,  and  when  they  came  into  plain  view  of 
the  tiny  dock  at  the  end  of  Foxtail  Island  their 
boat  was  two  full  lengths  ahead  of  the  other. 

"Hi  you!  What  kind  of  a  race  is  this,  any- 
how?" shouted  out  Andy,  gaily.  "Why  don't 
you  keep  side  by  side  and  be  sociable  ?" 

"Sour  grapes !"  roared  Fred.  "Here  is  where 
we  win !"  and  in  a  moment  more  he  and  Jack  sent 
their  boat  up  to  the  side  of  the  little  dock.  Al- 
most immediately  the  second  craft  followed. 

"I  think  all  of  you  did  very  well,"  remarked 
Ruth,  consolingly. 

"Anyway,  we  came  in  a  close  second,"  re- 
marked Randy. 


A  SQUALL  ON  THE  LAKE  191 

"We  would  have  won  if  it  hadn't  been  for  one 
thing — just  one  thing,"  remarked  Andy,  sol- 
emnly. 

"Why,  what  was  that?"  questioned  several  of 
the  others  quickly. 

"That  was  the  fact  that  the  other  boat" — Andy 
drew  a  deep  breath — "came  in  first."  At  this  the 
girls  shrieked  with  laughter  and  the  other  boys 
set  up  a  howl. 

"Pitch  him  into  the  lake !" 

"That's  right !    Give  him  a  bath !" 

"A  ducking  will  do  him  good — he  needs  to  be 
cooled  off!" 

"Not  much!  No  bath  for  me!"  cried  Andy, 
quickly,  and  lost  no  time  in  leaping  to  the  dock, 
where,  in  the  exuberance  of  his  spirits,  he  turned 
several  handsprings,  much  to  the  amusement  of 
the  girls. 

"Is  there  anything  worth  seeing  on  this  is- 
land?" questioned  Jack,  when  the  excitement  of 
the  race  was  over. 

"There  isn't  anything  here  that  I  know  of," 
answered  Ruth.  "In  the  summer  time  people 
come  here  to  picnic.  There  is  a  nice  spring  of 
water  in  the  center  of  the  island." 

"Let's  go  and  get  a  drink,"  said  Fred.  "That 
race  made  me  thirsty;"  and  off  the  whole  party 
trooped  to  the  spring. 


192         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

The  young  folks  had  a  good  time  at  the  spring 
and  in  exploring  the  little  island,  which  had  a  hill 
at  one  end  covered  with  trees.  They  found  some 
chestnuts  and  also  a  few  hickory  nuts,  and  these 
the  boys  opened  for  the  girls'  benefit. 

"I  suppose  we  had  better  go  on  and  finish  the 
row,"  remarked  Jack  to  Ruth,  presently.  "That 
is,  unless  you  girls  would  rather  wander  through 
the  woods." 

"Oh,  it's  nice  enough  here  on  the  island,"  she 
answered.  "Remember,  you'll  have  quite  a  row 
back  to  the  school  and  then  to  Colby  Hall." 

"Oh,  let's  stay  here  for  a  while,"  put  in  Alice. 
"Maybe  we'll  be  able  to  find  more  nuts." 

They  hunted  around,  and  presently  discovered 
another  large  chestnut  tree  which  was  fairly 
loaded.  The  boys  threw  up  sticks  and  stones, 
and  brought  down  a  big  shower. 

"If  I  had  known  this,  we  might  have  brought 
along  a  pillowcase  for  the  nuts,"  said  Fred. 

"We  can  come  back  some  day  if  we  want  to," 
returned  Randy. 

Before  leaving  the  island  the  young  folks  de- 
cided to  go  back  to  where  the  spring  was  located, 
so  as  to  get  another  drink  and  also  to  wash  their 
hands.  On  this  trip,  in  speaking  about  the  ex- 
citement at  the  moving  picture  theater,  Randy 
chanced  to  mention  Jennie  Mason's  name. 


A  SQUALL  ON  THE  LAKE  193 

"Jennie  is  a  nice  girl,"  answered  Annie  Lark- 
ins,  to  whom  he  was  speaking,  "but  she  does  some 
things  that  I  do  not  approve  of.  Do  you  know 
a  cadet  at  your  Hall  named  Napoleon  Martell — 
I  think  they  call  him  Nappy  for  short  ?" 

"Do  we  know  him!"  exclaimed  Randy.  "I 
should  say  we  did !" 

"Oh !  is  that  so  ?"  Annie  looked  at  him  search- 
ingly.  "Is  he  a  friend  of  yours?" 

"No;  I  can't  say  that  he  is.  To  tell  you  the 
truth,  he  doesn't  like  us  at  all." 

"If  that's  the  case,  I  don't  mind  speaking  to 
you  about  Jennie,"  went  on  the  girl.  "You  know, 
Jennie  comes  from  New  York  City.  And  down 
there  she  met  Nappy  Martell  quite  a  few  times, 
and  they  became  well  acquainted.  But  Jennie's 
folks  don't  approve  of  him  at  all ;  and  they  don't 
want  her  to  go  with  him."  And  here  Annie 
paused. 

"And  do  you  mean  to  say  she  does  go  with 
him,  anyhow?"  queried  the  Rover  boy. 

"Yes.  She  goes  out  to  meet  him  whenever  she 
can  get  the  chance,"  was  the  reply.  "You  are 
sure  you  don't  approve  of  him?" 

"Not  in  the  least.  In  fact,  to  tell  the  truth,  we 
have  no  use  for  him  or  the  bunch  he  trains  with." 

"I  see.  Well,  all  of  us  think  it  is  perfectly 
dreadful  the  way  Jennie  accepts  Martell's  invi- 


194        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

tations.  Of  course,  we  don't  want  to  tell  on  herr 
either  in  school  or  to  her  folks,  and  yet  none  of 
us  think  it  is  right." 

"Does  he  take  her  out  much?" 

"Oh,  as  much  as  they  dare  to  go.  He  takes 
her  out  sailing  on  the  lake  and  to  the  moving  pic- 
ture shows,  and  once  they  went  off  together  on 
a  picnic  to  the  Clearwater  Country  Club.  The 
places  were  all  right  in  themselves,  but  I  know 
Jennie's  folks  don't  want  her  to  be  seen  in  the 
company  of  Nappy  Martell.  He  is  so  loud  and 
forward." 

"You  can't  tell  us  anything  about  Martell  be- 
ing loud  and  forward,"  answered  Randy,  read- 
ily. "We  all  know  him  to  be  a  regular  bully. 
Besides  that,  when  he  isn't  in  uniform,  he  wears 
the  loudest  kind  of  clothes — just  as  if  he  wanted 
to  make  an  exhibition  of  himself." 

"Jennie  went  out  with  him  this  afternoon," 
continued  Annie.  "Where  they  went  to,  I  do  not 
know.  But  I  think  they  hired  a  motor  boat  and 
went  across  the  lake." 

"Does  Martell  know  how  to  run  a  motor 
boat?" 

"Oh,  yes.  He  told  Jennie  that  he  owned  a 
motor  boat  on  the  Hudson  River — a  boat  his 
father  gave  him  for  a  birthday  present." 

Randy  and  the  girl  had  dropped  a  little  behind 


A  SQUALL  ON  THE  LAKE  195 

the  others,  who  now  waited  for  them  to  come  up. 

"I  think  we  had  better  be  getting  back,"  said 
Jack.  "It  isn't  as  clear  as  it  was  before,  and  it 
is  beginning  to  blow." 

"Yes,  we'll  get  back,"  returned  Randy,  with  a 
look  at  the  sky.  He  knew  that  a  blow  on  the  lake 
might  be  no  trifling  matter. 

On  the  way  over  to  the  island  the  sun  had  been 
clear  and  warm.  Now,  however,  it  was  hidden 
tinder  a  dark  bank  of  clouds,  which  were  coming 
up  quickly  from  the  west.  The  wind  was  already 
blowing  freely,  and  out  on  the  bosom  of  the  lake 
the  water  was  roughing  up  in  tiny  ripples. 

"All  aboard,  everybody!"  sang  out  Jack.  And 
then  turning  to  his  cousins  he  added  in  a  low 
voice :  "We  mustn't  lose  a  minute  of  time  in  get- 
ting back.  This  blow  is  going  to  be  a  heavy  one." 

The  girls  were  soon  seated  in  the  rowboats, 
and  then  the  four  Rovers  lost  no  time  in  casting 
off  from  the  little  dock  and  in  starting  to  row 
towards  Clearwater  Hall.  As  they  proceeded,  the 
sky  kept  growing  darker  and  darker  while  the 
wind  grew  stronger  and  stronger. 

"We're  in  for  a  squall  all  right  enough,"  mur- 
mured Randy,  as  he  and  Andy  bent  to  their  oars 
with  vigor. 

"Gee!  I  only  hope  we  can  reach  the  shore  be- 
fore it  strikes  us,"  was  the  response. 


196        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Row  for  all  you're  worth,  boys!"  sang  out 
Jack  from  the  other  boat.  "Bend  to  it  just  as  if 
you  were  in  a  race !" 

And  then  he  and  Fred,  as  well  as  the  twins, 
settled  down  to  the  t^*sk  of  trying  to  outrace  the 
oncoming  squall. 


CHAPTER  XX 

IN   GREAT   PERIL 

As  those  who  have  had  any  experience  knowt 
a  squall  on  a  lake  encircled  by  hills  sometimes 
comes  up  very  quickly,  and  this  is  what  happened 
in  the  present  case.  Hardly  had  the  two  row- 
boats  covered  a  quarter  of  the  distance  to  the 
shore,  when  the  wind  came  whistling  across  the 
bosom  of  the  lake,  sending  the  whitecaps  tumb- 
ling in  all  directions. 

"Oh,  dear,  just  look  how  rough  the  water  is 
getting  !f>  remarked  Ruth  in  alarm. 

"And  how  the  wind  is  blowing!"  added  May. 

In  the  other  boat  the  girls  were  even  more 
-fearful,  and  Andy  and  Randy  had  all  they  could 
do  to  make  them  sit  still. 

"Don't  shift,"  pleaded  Randy.  "We  don't 
want  to  ship  any  water." 

"Oh,  dear!  If  only  we  were  safe  on  shore!" 
wailed  Alice. 

"I  didn't  think  it  looked  like  a  storm  when  we 
left  the  school,"  added  Annie,  in  dismay. 

197 


198         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"This  is  only  a  squall.  It  may  blow  itself  out 
in  a  few  minutes,"  returned  Randy,  although  to 
himself  he  admitted  that  the  squall  looked  as 
though  it  might  last  for  some  time. 

Battling  as  best  they  could  against  the  wind 
and  the  whitecaps,  the  Rover  boys  strove  to  reach 
the  shore  in  the  vicinity  of  the  girls'  school.  But 
the  wind  was  blowing  directly  down  Clearwater 
Lake  and  threatened  more  than  once  to  capsize 
them. 

"Gee,  Jack,  this  is  getting  serious!"  panted 
Fred,  as  he  looked  questioningly  at  his  cousin. 

The  same  thought  had  come  into  the  minds  of 
each  of  the  boys.  Could  the  girls  swim?  They 
wished  they  knew,  but  did  not  dare  to  ask  any 
questions  for  fear  of  further  alarming  their  pas- 
sengers. 

"I  guess  we  had  better  head  up  into  the  wind. 
It's  the  safest  thing  to  do,"  cried  Jack.  And 
then,  raising  his  voice  to  be  heard  above  the 
whistling  of  the  elements,  he  added:  "Head  up! 
Don't  take  those  waves  sideways!  Head  up!" 

The  others  understood,  and  in  a  minute  more 
both  of  the  boats  were  heading  directly  into  the 
wind.  This  prevented  either  of  the  craft  from 
swamping,  but  caused  the  spray  to  hit  the  bow 
more  than  once,  sending  a  shower  of  water  over 
everybody. 


IN  GREAT  PERIL  199 

"Oh,  dear!     I'm  getting  wet!"  wailed  May. 

"Do  you  think  you  can  reach  shore?"  ques- 
tioned Ruth  of  Jack;  and  her  wide-open  eyes 
showed  her  terror. 

"We  can't  head  for  the  school  just  now,*'  he 
answered.  "We'll  have  to  keep  pulling  up  against 
the  wind  until  it  lets  up  a  little." 

"Oh,  but  we  sha'n't  upset,  shall  we?"  came 
from  Spouter  Powell's  cousin. 

"I  don't  think  so.  Anyway,  we  are  going  to 
do  our  best  to  prevent  it,"  answered  Fred. 

Keeping  as  close  together  as  they  dared,  the 
two  rowboats  continued  to  head  up  into  the  wind, 
which  still  blew  as  hard  as  ever.  In  the  sky  the 
clouds  were  shifting,  and  Jack  and  his  cousins 
had  great  hopes  that  ere  long  the  sudden  squall 
would  blow  itself  out. 

"Here  comes  a  motor  boat  up  behind  us !"  cried 
Ruth,  presently. 

All  looked  in  that  direction  and  saw  a  fair-sized 
craft  coming  up  the  lake.  She  was  making  good 
speed  in  spite  of  the  whitecaps,  and  was  sending 
the  spray  flying  in  all  directions. 

"I  think  that  is  the  boat  Jennie  Mason  was  go- 
ing out  in,"  remarked  Annie  to  Randy.  "Yes; 
I  am  sure  it  is,"  she  added  a  minute  later,  as  the 
motor  boat  came  closer.  "There  is  Mr.  Martett 
at  the  wheel  now." 


200         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

The  discovery  that  Nappy  Martell  was  run- 
ning the  oncoming  motor  boat  had  also  been  made 
by  those  occupying  the  other  rowboat. 

"It's  Martell!  And  there  is  Slugger  Brown 
with  him !"  cried  Fred. 

"Isn't  one  of  those  girls  Miss  Mason?"  ques- 
tioned Jack. 

"Yes.  And  Ida  Brierley,  one  of  our  girls,  is 
with  her,"  answered  Ruth.  Her  manner  indicated 
that  the  discovery  did  not  altogether  please  her. 

"Maybe  we  can  get  that  motor  boat  to  pull  us 
in,"  suggested  May.  "They  could  do  it  easily 
enough." 

"So  they  could,"  answered  Fred.  "But  I  doubt 
if  those  two  fellows  who  are  running  it  would 
like  to  undertake  the  job.  They  go  to  Colby 
Hall,  but  they  are  no  friends  of  ours." 

"Yes,  but  they  ought  not  to  let  their  enmity 
stand  between  us  in  a  time  like  this,"  said  Jack. 
"If  they  were  in  the  rowboats  and  I  was  in  the 
motor  boat,  I'd  give  them  help  quick  enough." 

As  the  motor  boat  drew  nearer,  it  prepared  to 
pass  close  to  the  craft  manned  by  Jack  and  Fred. 
As  it  came  closer,  Jennie  Mason  gave  a  cry  of 
surprise. 

"Oh,  look !  look !  There  are  those  Rover  boys, 
and  some  of  our  girls  are  with  them !" 

'Tm  glad  I  am  not  out  in  a  rowboat,"  said  Ida 


IN  GREAT  PERIL  2OI 

Brierley.  "I'd  be  afraid  of  getting  a  good  duck- 
ing." 

"Ahoy  there,  on  the  motor  boat!"  sang  out 
Fred,  as  the  craft  came  alongside.  "Can't  you 
fellows  give  us  a  tow  ?  We  have  plenty  of  rope." 

"This  motor  boat  wasn't  built  for  towing,"  an- 
swered Nappy  Martell,  roughly. 

"We're  having  a  terrible  time  of  it  against  this 
wind,"  put  in  Jack.  He  would  not  have  asked 
for  assistance  on  his  own  account,  but  he  was 
thinking  of  the  girls.  He  knew  that  all  of  them 
were  badly  frightened. 

"Oh,  yes !  please  tow  us  in !"  came  from  May. 

"Yes !  please  do !"  added  Ruth. 

"It's  so  far  to  the  shore!"  came  from  Annie. 

"And  we're  afraid  we'll  get  wet  through  and 
through!"  cried  Alice. 

"You  ought  to  do  something  for  them,"  de- 
clared Jennie  Mason,  who  had  herself  become 
frightened  over  the  roughness  of  the  lake. 

"I'm  not  going  to  tow  those  Rovers  in,"  mut- 
tered Nappy  Martell.  "You  wouldn't  do  it, 
would  you,  Slugger?" 

"Not  much !  Let  'em  take  care  of  themselves," 
was  the  heartless  answer. 

"Oh !  but  they  may  be  drowned !"  gasped  Jen- 
nie. 

"Nothing  of  the  sort.     This  is  only  a  little 


202         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

wind,  and  it  will  soon  die  down.  If  those  Rovers 
have  to  break  their  backs  rowing,  it  will  do  'em 
good!" 

"If  you  don't  tow  us  in,  you'll  be  the  meanest 
fellow  on  earth,"  sang  out  Andy. 

"I  wouldn't  have  your  disposition  for  a  mil- 
lion dollars,"  added  his  twin. 

"Aw!  go  chase  yourselves!"  retorted  Slugger 
Brown,  heartlessly. 

"We're  not  helping  fellows  like  you,"  came 
from  Nappy  Martell.  Then  the  motor  boat 
passed  on  and  was  soon  all  but  lost  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

"Of  all  the  mean  people!"  cried  Ruth. 

"I  shouldn't  think  Jennie  Mason  would  stand 
for  such  meanness,"  declared  May.  "Nor  Ida 
Brierley,  either." 

The  motor  boat  having  gone  on  and  left  them 
to  their  fate,  the  Rover  boys  continued  pulling 
on  the  oars.  It  was  hard,  laborious  work,  and 
soon  Andy  and  Fred  were  all  but  exhausted. 
Jack  and  Randy,  however,  had  now  gotten  their 
second  wind,  so  to  speak,  and  they  continued  their 
efforts  with  unabated  vigor. 

"It  was  as  mean  as  dirt  fo^  them  to  leave  us 
out  here  when  they  could  have  towed  us  in  with 
ease,"  panted  Fred.  "Just  you  wait — I'll  let  the 
whole  school  know  of  this !" 


IN  GREAT  PERIL  203 

"Don't  talk!  Save  your  wind.  We  can  talk 
afterwards,"  returned  his  cousin. 

The  next  quarter  of  an  hour  was  one  which 
none  of  the  girls  or  boys  ever  forgot.  The  Rov- 
ers continued  to  battle  with  the  wind  and  the 
waves  with  all  the  energy  left  to  them,  while  the 
girls  crouched  down  on  the  seats  almost  speech- 
less with  fear.  Occasionally,  the  waves  would  hit 
the  bow  of  one  rowboat  or  the  other,  sending  a 
shower  of  water  over  the  occupants. 

"I — think — it's — letting  up — a — bit,"  panted 
Jack,  presently,  and  glanced  up  at  the  sky. 

"Oh,  if  only  it  would !"  breathed  Ruth. 

The  boat  containing  the  others  had  dropped 
slightly  behind,  but  now  Jack  and  Fred  held  back 
until  it  was  once  more  alongside. 

"Oh,  did  you  ever  see  such  a  storm!"  wailed 
Alice. 

"I  don't  think  I'll  ever  want  to  go  out  in  a  row- 
boat  again,"  was  Annie's  bitter  comment. 

"I  think  the  wind  is  beginning  to  die  down," 
said  Ruth,  encouragingly. 

"Let — us — hope — so,"  came  in  jerks  from 
Jack.  He  was  still  rowing,  but  his  arms  felt  as 
if  they  were  being  torn  from  their  sockets. 

They  had  now  covered  nearly  half  the  distance 
to  the  upper  end  of  the  lake,  but  they  were  just 
as  far  from  the  western  shore  as  ever.  Now, 


204        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

however,  as  the  wind  began  to  die  down,  they 
turned  slightly  in  the  direction  of  Haven  Point. 

"It  won't  matter  where  we  land,"  declared 
Ruth.  "We  can  easily  walk  back  to  the  school." 

The  sun  was  still  under  a  cloud,  but  now  the 
wind  went  down  more  than  ever.  The  surface 
of  the  lake,  however,  was  still  much  troubled, 
and  the  boys  had  all  they  could  do  to  make  any 
progress  towards  the  shore. 

"Oh,  you  must  be  very  tired!"  said  Ruth  to 
Jack. 

"Never — mind — we'll — reach — shore — some- 
how," he  answered.  Then  she  said  no  more,  be- 
cause she  knew  it  was  painful  for  him  to  speak. 

The  four  boys  continued  to  row  on,  and  in 
about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  came  within  plain 
view  of  the  shore,  at  a  point  some  distance  be- 
yond Clearwater  Hall  and  the  town. 

"Oh,  look!  Something  is  the  matter  down  by 
the  lumber  yards,"  remarked  Alice,  presently. 
"See  the  men  running !"  She  pointed,  and  those 
in  both  rowboats  looked  in  that  direction. 

"I  don't  see  anything  wrong,"  said  Ruth. 

"I  do!"  cried  May,  and  gave  a  little  shriek. 
"Look!  look!  A  whole  lot  of  lumber  is  drifting 
this  way!" 

"Some — thing — broke — lose,"  gasped  Jack. 
"Maybe — a — lumber — raft." 


IN  GREAT  PERIL  205 

And  that  was  just  what  had  happened.  In  a 
manner  to  be  explained  later,  a  lumber  raft  be- 
ing towed  up  the  lake  by  a  steam  tug  had  not  only 
broken  away,  but  likewise  had  broken  apart,  and 
the  timbers  which  had  composed  it  were  now 
floating  around  over  a  large  area  of  Clearwater 
Lake. 

In  another  minute  the  two  rowboats  were  in 
the  very  midst  of  the  drifting  timbers  and  in 
great  danger  of  being  upset. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

ASSISTANCE   REFUSED 

"Mv  gracious!  look  at  the  lumber  floating 
around !" 

"Be  careful,  boys!  Don't  get  hit  if  you  can 
help  it !" 

"One  of  those  timbers  is  heavy  enough  to  send 
us  to  the  bottom !" 

"Oh,  dear!  Do  you  think  we'll  be  smashed 
up?" 

Such  were  some  of  the  cries  which  rent  the 
air  as  the  Rover  boys  and  the  girls  with  them 
found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  the  wreckage 
from  the  broken-apart  lumber  raft. 

On  all  sides  of  them  heavy  sticks  of  timber 
were  bobbing  up  and  down  on  the  whitecaps,  and 
presently  one  of  these  bumped  into  the  craft  oc- 
cupied by  Jack  and  Fred  and  two  of  the  girls. 
The  rowboat  careened  so  much  that  quite  a  large 
quantity  of  water  was  shipped,  which  made  Ruth 
and  May  scream  in  fright. 

"Stand  up  in  the  bow,  Fred,  and  see  if  you— 
206 


ASSISTANCE  REFUSED  207 

can — ward — them — off!"  gasped  Jack  as  well  as 
his  semi-exhausted  condition  would  permit.  'Til 
stick  to — the — oars." 

He  knew  he  must  keep  the  rowboat  headed  up 
into  the  wind,  for  the  squall  had  not  yet  subsided 
sufficiently  to  allow  of  their  taking  it  sidewise. 

A  moment  later  came  a  cry  from  the  other 
rowboat  as  the  craft  slipped  up  and  over  several 
large  sticks  of  timber. 

"Gosh !  that  was  a  narrow  escape !"  was  Andy's 
comment,  as  the  craft  finally  righted  itself. 

"Oh,  dear!  if  only  we  were  on  shore  once 
more !"  wailed  Annie,  for  at  least  the  tenth  time. 

"I  never  dreamed  that  we  would  have  such  a 
dreadful  experience  as  this !"  came  from  Alice. 

Randy  said  nothing,  but  continued  to  row, 
while  Andy  did  the  same  as  Fred  was  doing,  both 
trying  their  best  to  ward  off  the  heavy  sticks 
which  came  floating  towards  them  every  minute 
or  two. 

Not  far  away  was  a  steam  tug,  and  presently 
two  other  boats  came  from  the  shore,  both  bent 
upon  saving  all  that  was  possible  of  the  broken- 
apart  lumber  raft. 

"We'll  pick  you  up  if  you  have  much  trouble," 
cried  the  captain  of  the  steam  tug,  as  he  ran  a 
course  between  the  two  rowboats.  "But  don't  ask 
us  to  do  it  unless  it's  necessary,  for  we  want  to 


208         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

round  up  this  floating  lumber  before  it  gets  away 
from  us,  if  it  can  be  done." 

"Thank  you!"  gasped  out  Jack,  in  return. 
"Maybe  we  can — make — the — shore.  The  wind 
seems — to — be — going — down." 

"Sure,  we'll  make  it!"  put  in  Randy.  The 
fright  of  the  girls  in  his  boat  had  somewhat  net- 
tled him  and  he  was  resolved  to  land  them  safely 
without  assistance. 

But  it  was  a  time  of  peril  as  well  as  exhaust- 
ing effort ;  and  all  of  the  Rovers  were  glad  enough 
when  the  last  of  the  drifting  lumber  was  passed 
and  they  came  within  hailing  distance  of  the 
shore.  The  wind  had  now  gone  down  consider- 
ably, and  most  of  this  was  to  be  felt  farther  out 
on  the  lake. 

"Let  us  take  them  right  down  to  the  school 
dock,"  sang  out  Randy.  "We  can  turn  down  the 
lake,  and  the  wind  will  be  just  strong  enough  to 
help  us;"  and  so  it  was  arranged. 

When  the  two  rowboats  came  within  sight  of 
the  school  dock,  those  on  board  found  fully  a 
dozen  of  the  scholars  there,  along  with  two  of 
the  teachers. 

"Are  you  safe?"  cried  one  of  the  teachers,  as 
soon  as  the  boats  came  within  hailing  distance. 

"Yes,  Miss  Glover.  We  are  all  right,"  an- 
swered Ruth. 


ASSISTANCE  REFUSED 

"Only  we  are  rather  wet,"  added  May. 

"And  I'm  awfully  glad  to  get  back,"  broke  in 
Annie,  who  was  fairly  shivering  over  her  trying; 
experience. 

"Well,  anyway,  I  think  you  cadets  did  per- 
fectly splendid,"  remarked  Alice. 

"Indeed  they  did !"  broke  out  Ruth,  quickly.  "I 
don't  believe  anyone  could  have  managed  these 
boats  better;"  and  she  bestowed  a  glance  of  ad- 
miration first  on  Jack  and  then  on  his  cousins. 

"It  was  a  terrible  blow,  and  it  came  up  so- 
quickly  that  we  all  grew  alarmed  for  your 
safety,"  said  Miss  Glover. 

"And  then  to  think  that  you  must  get  mixed 
up  with  that  drifting  lumber!"  put  in  the  other 
teacher.  "The  squall  was  bad  enough  without 
having  anything  like  that  happen." 

"It's  too  bad  the  lumbermen  had  their  big  raft 
go  apart  like  that,"  was  Jack's  comment.  "I 
guess  those  big  sticks  of  timber  are  worth  a  good 
deal  of  money." 

"They  couldn't  have  had  the  raft  chained  to- 
gether very  tightly,"  said  Miss  Glover,  who  had 
come  from  a  lumbering  community  where  raft- 
ing was  frequent.  "I  never  heard  of  a  raft  going 
to  pieces  like  that." 

"Well,  I  don't  know  much  about  lumber  rafts," 
answered  Jack. 


210         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Say,  can't  we  leave  our  two  rowboats  here  and 
ride  back  to  the  Hall?"  questioned  Randy.  "I 
don't  want  to  do  any  more  rowing  if  I  can  help 
it" 

"Of  course  you  can  leave  your  boats  here,"  an- 
swered Miss  Glover,  and  she  showed  where  the 
craft  might  be  stowed  away  in  the  boathouse.  All 
of  the  Rovers  were  glad  enough  to  give  up  further 
work  at  the  oars. 

"I  am  awfully  sorry  our  little  outing  turned  out 
as  it  did,"  remarked  Jack  to  Ruth. 

"And  it  was  too  bad  to  frighten  you  so,"  added 
Randy,  to  all  of  the  girls. 

"Oh,  it  wasn't  your  fault  that  the  squall  came 
up,"  answered  Ruth.  "And,  besides  that,  now  it  is 
over  I  think  I  rather  enjoyed  the  adventure — that 
is.  I'll  enjoy  telling  about  it,"  she  corrected. 

"Some  day  I  hope  we'll  be  able  to  spend  a 
nicer  time  together,"  said  Jack. 

"Perhaps,"  murmured  Ruth,  and  blushed. 

Before  the  Rovers  left  for  Colby  Hall,  they 
asked  if  Jennie  Mason  and  Ida  Brierky  had  re- 
turned. 

"They  have  not  come  back  yet,"  answered  one 
of  the  teachers.  **We  saw  them  going  up  the  lake 
against  the  wind.  We  were  a  little  bit  worried, 
but  I  presume  the  motor  boat  can  take  care  of  it- 
'self  in  quite  a  blow." 


THE  CRAFT  SLIPPED  UP  AND  OVER  SEVERAL  LARGE  STICKS  OF 
TIMBER. 

The  Rover  ROMS  at  Colby  Hall.  Page  207 


ASSITANCE  REFUSED  21 1 

"All  they've  got  to  do  is  to  turn  on  the  gaso- 
lene, while  in  a  rowboat  sometimes  a  fellow's 
muscles  give  out,"  was  Andy's  comment,  and  this 
caused  a  smile. 

After  bidding  the  girls  and  the  others  good- 
bye,  the  four  Rovers  walked  towards  the  town. 
There  they  were  fortunate  enough  to  find  the 
HaH  auto-stage,  and  were  soon  at  the  school  once 
more. 

"Gee !  but  my  arms  ache !"  was  Fred's  remark 
on  the  way.  "The  muscles  hurt  so  I  can  hardly 
keep  still." 

"You'd  better  bathe  them  well  with  witch  hazel 
or  alcohol,"  returned  Jack.  "My  muscles  feel 
sore,  too." 

"It  took  the  wind  right  out  of  me,"  came  from 
Andy.  "Funny,  too — with  so  much  wind  all 
around,"  he  added  merrily. 

"I  can't  help  but  think  of  how  Martell  and 
Brown  treated  us,"  said  Randy,  seriously.  "It 
was  as  mean  as  dirt!" 

"I  believe  they  would  have  left  us  there  to 
drown!"  added  Fred. 

"Oh,  I  wouldn't  like  to  think  that  of  them," 
broke  in  Jack.  "Just  the  same,  it  was  a  very 
dirty  thing  to  do.  Not  on  our  account  so  much 
as  on  account  of  the  girls." 

\Vhen  the  boys  got  back,  the  first  person  they 


212         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

met  was  Spouter,  who  wanted  to  know  how  his 
cousin  May  had  enjoyed  the  outing.  He  listened 
in  some  alarm  to  the  story  the  Rovers  had  to 
relate. 

"It  was  a  narrow  shave  all  right,"  was  the 
comment.  And  then  his  face  took  on  a  stern 
look.  "And  to  think  Nappy  Martell  and  Slugger 
Brown  treated  you  that  way!  Those  fellows 
ought  to  be  run  out  of  this  school !" 

The  squall  on  the  lake  had  been  noticed  by 
some  of  fhe  other  cadets  who  had  been  out  on 
the  river;  and  the  news  soon  spread  of  the  dan- 
ger into  which  the  Rovers  and  their  companions 
had  run.  Gif,  Ned,  Walt,  and  several  others 
wanted  to  know  the  particulars  of  the  affair,  and 
all  were  loud  in  their  denunciation  of  the  cadets 
who  had  been  running  the  motor  boat. 

"Spouter  is  right  I"  declared  Gif.  "Those  fd- 
lows  ought  to  be  run  out  of  Colby  Hall !" 

"After  this  I  want  nothing  more  to  do  with 
them!"  added  Ned. 

"I  wonder  what  they  would  say  if  some  of  you 
had  been  drowned,"  remarked  Walt. 

"Makes  me  want  to  pitch  into  'em,"  came  from 
Fatty,  who  was  present.  "But  then,  in  one  way, 
it's  a  pity  to  dirty  one's  hands  on  such  cattle  as 
that." 

Of  course,  the  Rover  boys  had  come  in  late  for 


ASSISTANCE  REFUSED  213 

supper.  Professor  Lemm  had  started  to  find 
fault  with  Andy  and  Fred  for  this,  but  he  was 
quickly  stopped  by  Colonel  Colby,  who  had  come 
up  to  learn  the  particulars  of  what  had  occurred. 

"I  heard  you  were  out  in  that  big  blow,"  re- 
marked the  colonel.  "I  trust  none  of  you 
suffered  from  it." 

"Well,  we  had  rather  a  narrow  escape,"  an- 
swered Fred.  Then  he  and  Andy  gave  a  brief 
outline  of  what  had  happened,  not  forgetting  to 
mention  how  Martell  and  Brown  had  left  them 
to  their  fate. 

"Too  bad!  too  bad!"  murmured  the  colonel, 
shaking  his  head  slightly.  "I  did  not  think  that 
any  of  our  cadets  would  do  such  a  thing;"  and 
then  he  walked  away  in  a  very  thoughtful  mood. 

"I  wonder  what  he'll  say  to  Brown  and  Mar- 
tell,"  mused  Fred,  as,  after  being  dismissed  by 
Professor  Lemm,  they  hurried  to  the  mess  hall. 
As  they  were  late,  they  had  missed  the  parade. 

"Maybe  he'll  give  'em  a  piece  of  his  mind.  I 
hope  he  does,"  answered  his  cousin. 

Nappy  Martell  and  Slugger  Brown  did  not  ap- 
pear until  supper  was  almost  over.  Both  had  a 
gloomy  look,  as  if  something  had  gone  decidedly 
wrong.  They  glared  sourly  at  the  Rover  boys 
and  their  chums,  and  then  sat  down  to  their  meal 
without  saying  a  word  to  anybody. 


214         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"I'll  wager  something  slipped  a  cog  with  them," 
whispered  Fred  to  Jack. 

"I've  got  an  idea,"  returned  the  oldest  of  the 
Rover  boys.  "Maybe  Jennie  Mason  and  that 
other  girl  who  were  out  in  the  motor  boat  gave 
them  a  piece  of  their  mind  for  not  aiding  us." 

"Oh,  I  hope  they  did,  Jack!" 

"It  wouldn't  be  anything  to  wonder  at.  That 
Jennie  Mason  seemed  to  be  a  nice  girl,  and  I  don't 
think  she  would  stand  for  any  such  meanness." 

Jack's  surmise  concerning  what  had  happened 
to  Nappy  and  Slugger  was  correct.  The  two  girls 
had  pleaded  with  the  two  cadets  to  go  back  and 
give  those  in  the  rowboats  aid.  And  after  much 
argument,  in  which  Nappy  and  Slugger  had 
proved  that  they  were  anything  but  young  gentle- 
men, the  girls  had  politely  asked  to  be  taken 
ashore.  This  had  brought  on  something  of  a 
quarrel,  and  in  the  end  the  two  cadets  had  taken 
the  girls  to  a  dock  near  the  lumber  yards  and 
quite  a  distance  from  Clearwater  Hall. 

"Now  you  can  have  the  fun  of  walking  to  the 
school,"  had  been  Nappy  Martell's  final  words. 

"And  I  don't  think  you'll  go  out  with  us  again 
in  a  hurry,"  Slugger  Brown  had  added. 

"I'll  never  go  out  with  you  again,"  Ida  Brier- 
ley  had  answered. 

"And  I'd  much  prefer  to  walk  to  the  school 


ASSISTANCE  REFUSED  215 

alone  than  to  ride  any  further  with  you  in  the 
motor  boat,"  Jennie  Mason  had  added;  and  thus 
the  four  had  parted,  the  two  girls  resolving  in 
their  hearts  never  to  have  anything  more  to  do 
with  Nappy  Martell  and  Slugger  Brown. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE   MEETING   WITH    HIXLEY   HIGH 

FOOTBALL  talk  now  filled  the  air  at  Colby  Hall, 
and  for  the  time  being  most  of  the  cadets  forgot 
about  how  the  Rovers  had  been  treated  on  the 
lake  by  Nappy  Martell  and  Slugger  Brown. 

Nappy  was  particularly  angry,  because  of  the 
way  he  had  been  treated  by  Jennie  Mason,  on 
whom  he  had  been  sweet  ever  since  they  had  be- 
come acquainted.  Slugger,  too,  was  hurt  over 
what  the  girls  had  said  about  his  meanness.  But 
he  was  far  more  put  out  over  the  fact  that  he 
could  act  only  as  a  substitute  on  the  regular 
eleven,  and  that  Gif  Garrison  had  finally  con- 
cluded to  put  Jack  in  his  place.  Fred  had  not 
won  out  for  the  first  eleven,  but  Gif  had  told  him 
he  stood  so  high  on  the  scrub  that  he  might  pos- 
sibly make  the  team  before  the  season  came  to 
an  end. 

"It's  all  those  Rovers'  fault,"  growled  Slugger 
Brown  to  Martell. 

"Of  course  it  is !"  was  the  unreasonable  reply. 
216 


THE  MEETING  WITH  HIXLEY  HIGH      217 

"I'll  tell  you,  Slug,  we  ought  to  do  something  to 
get  square  with  those  chaps." 

"If  I  break  loose  and  do  that,  it'll  be  something 
they'll  remember  as  long  as  they  live!"  declared 
Slugger  Brown,  vehemently. 

Nappy  Martell  looked  at  his  crony  knowingly, 
and  then  glanced  around  to  see  if  anybody  was 
listening. 

"Let's  do  it  right  now,  Slug,"  he  said  in  a  low 
voice.  "I  don't  care  what  it  is,  so  long  as  we 
can  get  the  best  of  those  Rovers." 

"We'll  think  it  over,  Nap.  This  isn't  to  be  any 
one-cent,  every-day  affair,  you  know." 

"Right  you  are!  I'm  game  for  anything — 
just  remember  that !"  added  the  other  cadet. 

As  Gif  Garrison  had  said,  there  were  three 
football  games  scheduled  for  Colby  Hall  that 
Fall.  The  first  of  these  was  to  be  with  Hixley 
High  School,  located  in  a  town  at  the  other  end 
of  the  lake.  Then  would  follow  a  game  of  more 
importance  with  the  Clearwater  Country  Club, 
at  their  beautiful  grounds  on  the  outskirts  of 
Haven  Point.  And  then  the  last  and  most  im- 
portant game  of  all — that  with  Columbus  Acad- 
emy, located  about  ten  miles  away.  Whether  the 
last  named  game  would  be  played  at  Colby  Hall 
or  at  the  Columbus  Academy  grounds,  was  still 
a,  question. 


218         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

In  a  few  days  Jack  recovered  completely 
from  the  spiking  he  had  received  from  Slugger 
Brown,  and  then  he  went  at  his  football  practice 
with  greater  vigor  than  ever.  He  took  Slugger's 
place  on  the  regular  eleven,  as  already  mentioned, 
and  in  his  first  game  they  beat  the  scrub  team  by 
a  score  of  32  to  12. 

"Now,  that's  better!"  declared  Gif.  "You 
didn't  let  the  scrub  walk  all  over  you." 

Fred  had  been  on  the  scrub  team,  and,  although 
that  eleven  had  been  defeated,  he  was  in  a  rather 
happy  frame  of  mind,  for  the  reason  that  out  of 
the  twelve  points  scored  he  had  been  directly  re- 
sponsible for  six  points. 

"I  think  Fred  is  going  some,"  remarked  Jack 
to  Gif,  later  on  when  he  had  a  chance  to  speak 
to  the  football  captain  privately. 

"You're  right,  Jack,"  was  the  answer.  "And 
I've  got  my  eye  on  him." 

The  game  with  Hixley  High  was  not  a  very 
important  one,  yet  it  was  made  the  occasion  for 
quite  a  gala  day  by  not  only  the  boys  of  both 
schools  but  likewise  the  girls  attending  the  high 
school  and  also  the  young  ladies  of  Clearwater 
Hall.  The  Rover  boys  and  some  of  their  chums 
invited  Ruth  and  her  several  friends,  including 
Jennie  Mason  and  Ida  Brierley,  to  be  present,  and 
this  invitation  was  gladly  accepted. 


THE  MEETING  WITH  HIXLEY  HIGH      219 

"I  don't  wonder  that  Slugger  Brown  and 
Nappy  Martell  look  so  glum  occasionally,"  re- 
marked Spouter  to  Jack  the  day  after  the  invi- 
tations had  been  given  and  accepted.  "I  just  had 
a  talk  with  my  cousin  May,  and  she  says  Jennie 
Mason  and  Ida  Brierley  are  through  with  those 
two  cadets.  They  told  Nappy  and  Slugger  they 
thought  they  were  nothing  but  cowards  for  the 
way  they  treated  you  Rovers  on  the  lake." 

"Well,  I'm  glad  they've  given  up  going  with 
that  pair,"  announced  Jack. 

The  last  game  with  Hixley  High  had  been 
played  on  the  grounds  of  that  institution,  so  that 
the  game  this  year  was  to  take  place  at  Colby 
Hall. 

"You  fellows  will  have  the  honor  of  bringing 
the  girls  over  from  Clearwater  Hall,"  remarked 
Jack  to  his  cousins  and  his  chums.  "I'll  have  to 
stay  here  and  do  a  bit  of  practising." 

The  auto-stage  and  a  number  of  automobiles 
and  carriages  had  been  requisitioned,  and  also 
a  number  of  motor  boats  on  the  lake,  and  in  these 
the  young  folks  from  Hixley  High  School  and 
from  Clearwater  Hall  journeyed  to  Colby  Hall. 

Jack  was  on  the  lookout  for  Ruth  and  the  oth- 
ers, and  lost  no  time  in  greeting  the  girl  as  soon 
as  she  appeared. 

"I'm  so  glad  that  you're  on  hand  to  encourage 


220         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

us  to  win,"  said  he,  as  he  took  Ruth's  hand. 

"Thank  you.  But  how  are  you  sure  I  am  here 
to  encourage  you  ?"  she  questioned  mischievously. 
"Maybe  I'm  going  to  root  for  Hixley  High." 

"You  dare!"  he  returned  earnestly,  and  then 
they  both  laughed  and  hurried  towards  the  grand- 
stand, where  seats  had  been  reserved  for  the  en- 
tire party. 

"Whoop  her  up  for  Hixley  High!"  was  the 
cry.  And  then  those  in  favor  of  the  high  school 
took  up  the  slogan: 

"Do  or  die! 
Hixley  High!     Hixley  High!" 

"They  mean  to  win  if  yelling  will  do  it,"  was 
May  Powell's  comment. 

"Oh,  I  guess  the  cadets  of  Colby  Hall  can  yell, 
too,"  responded  Fred.  And  he  was  right,  for  a 
moment  later  there  boomed  out  this  refrain : 

"Who  are  we? 
Can't  you  see? 
Colby  Hall! 

Dum !    Dum !    Dum,  dum,  dutn ! 
Here  we  come  with  fife  and  drum! 
Colby!     Colby!     Colby  Hall!" 

And  this  the  cadets  repeated  over  and  over 
again  until  they  were  hoarse. 

"Well,  I've  got  to  go  now,"  said  Jack,  reluct- 


THE  MEETING  WITH  HIXLEY  HIGH      22I 

antly,  as  word  came  for  the  team  to  gather  in  the 
dressing  room  for  final  instructions. 

"Good-bye  then,"  said  Ruth,  sweetly.  And 
then,  looking  Jack  full  in  the  eyes,  she  added 
earnestly:  "Oh,  I  do  hope  you'll  win!" 

They  were  simple  words,  but  the  way  in  which 
they  were  spoken,  and  the  look  that  accompanied 
them,  thrilled  the  youth  to  the  heart,  and  he  went 
down  to  the  dressing  room  on  feet  that  seemed 
to  be  walking  on  air. 

"Now  then,  boys,  I  expect  every  one  of  you 
to  do  his  level  best,"  said  Gif.  "Hixley  High  has 
been  bragging  everywhere  that  it  has  a  superior 
team  this  year  and  is  going  to  walk  all  over  us. 
I  want  you  to  play  with  vigor  from  the  very 
start ;"  and  then  followed  a  number  of  directions 
concerning  plays  and  signals,  to  all  of  which  his 
tleven  listened  earnestly. 

When  the  Colby  Hall  team  came  forth,  they 
were  given  a  loud  round  of  applause,  and  this  was 
repeated  when  Hixley  High  showed  itself.  The 
high  school  boys  were  nearly  all  seniors,  and  a 
glance  sufficed  to  show  that,  player  for  player, 
they  were  quite  a  few  pounds  heavier  than  the 
cadets. 

"If  our  eleven  wins  this  game  they  will  be  go- 
ing some,"  was  Fatty's  whispered  comment  to  2 
fellow  cadet. 


222         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"You're  right  there,"  was  the  answer.  "Those 
chaps  certainly  look  pretty  husky." 

It  is  not  my  intention  here  to  give  the  particu- 
lars of  this  game  with  Hixley  High,  interesting  as 
it  proved  to  be.  It  was  not  the  big  game  of  the 
season — that  was  to  come  later.  During  the 
first  quarter,  the  playing  on  both  sides  was 
rather  rough  and  ragged,  each  school  doing  its 
best  to  wear  its  opponent  out  at  the  very  start. 
In  these  onslaughts  the  weight  carried  by  Hixley 
High  told,  so  that  when  the  whistle  blew  the  score 
was  6  to  3. 

"Hurrah!  Hurrah!"  came  from  the  support- 
ers of  the  high  school.  And  again  and  again 
they  boomed  out  with  their  slogan. 

"This  game  isn't  over  yet!"  cried  one  of  the 
followers  of  Colby  Hall. 

"We  haven't  begun  to  play  yet!  Just  watch 
us  in  the  second  half!"  added  another  cadet. 

"Oh,  dear !  I  thought  Colby  Hall  would  score, 
sure !"  pouted  Ruth. 

"Those  Hixley  High  boys  are  awfully  big  fel- 
lows," answered  May. 

The  second  quarter  opened  with  a  good  deal  of 
cheering  for  each  side.  The  playing  now  be- 
came more  settled,  and  the  ball  went  back  and 
forth  from  the  2O-yard  line  on  one  side  to  the 
3<>yard  line  on  the  other.  Then  came  a  mix-up, 


THE  MEETING  WITH  HIXLEY  HIGH 


223 


in  the  midst  of  which  Jack  managed  to  get  the 
ball  and  start  with  it  for  the  goal. 

"Rover  has  it!" 

"Run,  Jack,  run !    Leg  it  for  all  you're  worth !" 

And  Jack  did  run,  making  the  best  of  his  op- 
portunity. Three  of  the  Hixley  High  players 
did  their  utmost  to  down  him,  but  when  the  third 
laid  him  low,  he  was  directly  over  the  chalk 
mark. 

"A  touchdown!"  was  the  cry  from  the  Colby 
Hall  cadets.  And  then  they  gave  vent  to  their 
feelings  by  tooting  their  horns  and  sounding  their 
rattles. 

The  touchdown  was  followed  by  a  skilful  kick 
for  goal,  and  with  this  in  their  favor,  Colby  Hall 
went  at  the  game  with  renewed  vigor,  so  that 
when  the  whistle  blew  for  the  ending  of  the  sec- 
ond half  the  score  stood  13  to  6  in  favor  of  Colby 
Hall. 

"That's  the  way  to  do  it !" 

"Keep  it  up,  boys !" 

"Oh,  wasn't  that  a  splendid  run  by  Jack?" 
cried  Ruth,  enthusiastically. 

"It  certainly  was !"  answered  one  of  the  other 
girls. 

With  the  score  piling  up  against  them,  Hixley 
High  grew  fairly  frantic  in  the  third  quarter.  As 
a  consequence,  their  play  became  rougher  than 


224         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

ever,  and  twice  they  had  to  be  called  to  order, 
^nd  once  they  were  penalized.  But  their  vigor 
told,  and  in  spite  of  all  Colby  Hall  could  do  to 
hold  them  back,  they  gained  constantly,  and 
when  the  end  of  the  third  quarter  was  reached 
the  score  was  a  tie. 

"Thirteen  to  thirteen!  What  do  you  think  of 
that?" 

"Some  playing,  eh?" 

Each  side  cheered  its  own,  but  many  were  the 
anxious  faces  when  the  two  elevens  lined  up  for 
the  final  quarter. 

"Now  then,  boys,  dig  into  them!"  cried  Mr. 
Crews,  earnestly.  "Show  them  what  Colby  Hall 
can  do!" 

"Watch  'em — watch  'em  closely!"  cautioned 
•Gif.  "They  may  try  to  pull  off  some  new  stunt 
at  the  last  minute." 

Once  more  the  two  teams  went  at  it  "hammer 
and  tongs."  It  was  certainly  a  battle  royal,  and 
on  more  than  one  occasion  it  looked  as  if  some 
of  the  players  might  be  seriously  injured.  As  it 
was,  Hixley  High  had  to  put  in  one  substitute, 
and  Colby  Hall  took  on  two.  But  the  fighting 
blood  of  the  cadets  was  now  up,  and  with  a  great 
rush  they  carried  the  ball  over  the  Hixley  High 
-line.  They  failed,  however,  to  kick  the  goal, 
much  to  the  regret  of  their  followers. 


THE  MEETING  WITH  HIXLEY  HIGH      22$ 

"Never  mind,  boys,"  said  Gif,  encouragingly. 
"Hold  'em  now !  That  is  all  I  ask  of  you — hold 
•em!" 

And  hold  them  Colby  did,  although  the  high 
school  lads  fought  like  demons  to  carry  the  ball 
across  the  cadets'  territory.  Back  and  forth 
went  the  play,  the  crowd  meanwhile  yelling  itself 
hoarse.  The  ball  was  on  the  Colby  Hall  1 5-yard 
line  when  the  whistle  blew  and  the  game  was 
over. 

"Colby  Hall  wins!" 

"Hurrah!    Hurrah!" 

Then  the  horns  and  rattles  sounded  out  louder 
than  ever,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  football  field 
was  alive  with  visitors,  and  the  triumphant  eleven 
was  surrounded. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

TARGET   PRACTICE 

COLBY  HALL  prepared  for  a  great  celebration 
that  night  in  honor  of  their  victory  over  Hixley 
High.  Boxes  and  barrels  had  been  stored  away 
in  anticipation  of  just  such  an  occasion,  and  these 
were  brought  out  and  stacked  up  at  a  safe  place 
along  the  river  front. 

"Bonfires  to-night — and  big  ones,  too!"  cried 
Andy,  and  let  off  his  surplusage  of  spirits  by 
turning  several  handsprings. 

"Look  out,  Andy!"  cried' Fred,  "or  some  circus 
will  capture  you." 

"Sour  grapes!"  retorted  the  fun-loving  youth. 

"Oh,  it  was  grand — the  way  you  held  Hixley 
High  back  in  that  last  quarter!"  remarked  Ruth 
to  Jack.  "I  was  so  afraid  they  would  break 
through  and  score,  I  could  hardly  wait  for  the 
whistle  to  blow." 

"It  was  certainly  some  game !"  answered  Jack. 
"You  see,  they  are  so  much  heavier  than  we 
are." 

226 


TARGET  PRACTICE  227 

The  victorious  eleven  came  in  for  all  sorts  of 
congratulations,  and  Jack  was  slapped  on  the  back 
until  the  wind  was  almost  knocked  out  of  him. 
As  soon  as  he  could  escape  from  his  friends,  he 
and  the  others  took  the  girls  down  to  a  waiting 
automobile  and  set  off  for  Clearwater  Hall.  On 
the  way  the  young  folks  sang  and  cut  up  to  their 
hearts'  content,  having  the  best  possible  time. 

The  only  cadet  at  Colby  Hall  who  was  not 
elated  over  the  victory  was  Slugger  Brown. 
Even  though  two  substitutes  had  been  used  in 
the  game,  and  even  though  the  big  fellow  had 
repented  of  his  former  decision,  and  agreed  to 
play  if  called  upon,  Gif  had  ignored  him  and 
used  a  player  at  least  ten  pounds  lighter  in  weight. 

"He  doesn't  intend  to  give  me  a  show — and 
that's  all  there  is  to  it,"  remarked  Slugger  to 
Nappy  Martell,  bitterly. 

"Well,  you  told  him  you  wouldn't  play  unless 
you  could  go  out  at  the  start  of  the  game,"  an- 
swered his  crony. 

"I  told  him  that  first,  but  afterwards  I  agreed 
to  go  in  as  a  sub,"  growled  Brown.  "But  I  can 
see  how  it  is — those  Rovers  have  told  Garrison 
how  we  acted  on  the  lake,  and  so  Garrison  has 
made  up  his  mind  to  ignore  me  entirely,  even 
though  I've  got  the  weight  and  can  play  as  good 
as  any  of  them." 


228        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Oh,  I  don't  doubt  but  what  it's  the  Rovers' 
fault !"  retorted  Martell.  "And  that  puts  me  in 
mind — are  we  going  to  do  anything  to  get  square 
or  not?" 

"Don't  worry  about  that,  Nap — we'll  do  some- 
thing all  right  enough!  But  I  want  the  chance 
first  to  think  up  something  that  will  be  worth 
while,"  answered  Slugger  Brown,  emphatically. 

The  bonfires  along  the  river  were  lit  directly 
after  supper,  after  the  cadets  had  received  per- 
mission from  Colonel  Colby.  The  boys  were  al- 
lowed to  do  about  as  they  pleased,  the  only 
stipulation  being  that  they  should  avoid  anything 
that  might  be  dangerous  or  ungentlemanly. 

With  the  bonfires  blazing  high,  throwing  a 
lurid  glare  over  the  campus  and  parade  grounds, 
the  cadets  sang  and  danced  and  then  started  an 
impromptu  parade  which  took  them  around  the 
various  buildings  of  the  school.  Many  carried 
torches,  while  four  had  drums  and  bugles.  There 
was  a  good  deal  of  horseplay,  and  also  something 
in  the  way  of  hazing. 

"Here  is  whero  we  get  back  at  Codfish  for 
some  of  his  meanness!"  cried  Randy,  as  he  and 
some  of  the  others  caught  the  sneak. 

Then  Codfish  was  made  to  stand  up  on  an  un- 
usually large  barrel  and  sing,  after  which  he  was 
told  to  hold  out  each  hand  for  a  valuable  present. 


TARGET  PRACTICE  229 

"I  don't  want  any  present!  I  want  to  get 
down !"  cried  the  sneak. 

"Oh,  this  is  something  very  valuable,  Codfish," 
returned  Randy,  and  winked  at  some  of  the 
others. 

Just  for  the  fun  of  it,  some  of  the  cadets  had 
obtained  some  potatoes  from  the  storehouse  and 
started  to  roast  these  under  one  of  the  bonfires. 
Two  of  the  potatoes,  quite  hot  and  black,  were 
brought  forth  and  thrust  into  Codfish's  hands. 

"Ouch!  What  do  you  mean  by  handing  me 
red-hot  potatoes !"  yelled  the  sneak,  in  alarm. 

"Oh,  we  thought  you  were  hungry,"  cried  one 
of  the  other  cadets. 

"You  wanted  to  burn  me — that's  what  you 
wanted  to  do!"  shrieked  Codfish,  who,  however, 
was  far  more  scared  than  hurt.  "I  want  to  get 
down !" 

"You've  got  to  give  us  a  dance  first,  Codfish," 
ordered  Randy. 

"That's  right!    Give  us  a  jig!"  put  in  Andy. 

"Make  it  a  Boston  seven-step,"  suggested  Jack. 

"Or  a  Washington  dip,"  added  Fred. 

A  dozen  of  the  cadets  were  shouting  at  poor 
Codfish  to  dance,  and  presently  the  excited  boy 
commenced  to  shuffle  his  feet. 

"Now  jump  up  three  times  and  we'll  let  you 
go!"  cried  Randy. 


230 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


Codfish  made  one  leap  into  the  air  and  came 
down  on  the  barrel  top  successfully.  Then  he 
tried  a  second  leap,  but,  as  Randy  well  knew, 
the  barrel  top  was  weak,  and,  with  a  crash,  poor 
Codfish  went  down  straight  into  the  big  barrel 
up  to  his  armpits. 

"Whoop!  Codfish  has  busted  the  barrel!" 
cried  Fred. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  breaking  up  house- 
keeping like  that,  Codfish?"  demanded  Andy. 

"Let's  do  the  baker  act  for  him,"  went  on 
Randy,  quickly. 

"The  baker  act  ?"  queried  several  of  the  cadets. 
"What's  that?" 

"Don't  you  know  the  baker  loves  his  rolls?" 
answered  Andy,  with  a  broad  grin. 

"That's  the  talk!"  came  in  a  shout.  "Let's 
give  Codfish  a  roll;"  and  before  the  sneak  could 
save  himself  the  barrel  was  tipped  up  on  its  side 
and  sent  rolling  over  and  over  towards  the  pa- 
rade ground. 

"Ouch !  Let  up !  I'll  be  killed !"  screamed  the 
victim.  "This  barrel  may  have  a  lot  of  nails  in 
it!" 

"Oh,  do  you  think  that's  true?"  asked  one  of 
the  cadets  in  fright. 

"Nary  a  nail!  I  saw  to  that  before  we  used 
the  barrel,"  answered  Randy.  "Such  a  rolling 


TARGET  PRACTICE  231 

won't  hurt  him  a  bit;"  and  the  cadets  continued 
their  sport  with  the  barrel,  finally  sending  it  down 
a  slight  hill  in  the  direction  of  the  river.  Here 
it  lodged  against  some  bushes,  and  Codfish  was 
allowed  to  crawl  forth.  At  once  he  took  to  his 
heels  and  disappeared. 

It  was  noticed  by  many  that  Slugger  Brown 
and  Nappy  Martell  had  not  participated  in  the 
festivities  of  the  evening.  The  two  had  gone  off 
for  a  walk,  during  which  they  smoked  many  ci- 
garettes and  talked  over  their  grievances  against 
the  Rovers.  On  their  return  they  were  met  by 
Codfish,  who  related  to  them  his  tale  of  woe. 

"Oh,  we've  got  to  do  something,"  was  Nappy 
Martell's  comment.  "If  we  don't,  before  we 
know  it  the  Rovers  will  be  fairly  running  this 
school." 

"Well,  they  won't  run  me,"  growled  Slugger 
Brown. 

The  following  Monday  found  the  Rover  boys 
once  more  hard  at  work  over  their  studies.  They 
had  now  settled  down  to  the  regular  routine  of  the 
Hall,  and  were  doing  very  well,  not  only  in  their 
classes,  but  also  in  their  training  as  young  sol- 
diers. Each  of  them  could  march  and  handle  a 
gun  as  well  as  anybody,  and  now  they  were  given 
the  privilege  of  practising  at  target  shooting — - 
something  which  interested  them  greatly. 


232 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


"Let's  get  up  a  littte  match  among  ourselves," 
said  Randy  one  day;  and  this  was  agreed  upon, 
eight  new  cadets  entering  the  contest. 

The  shooting  was  done  at  a  target  set  up 
against  a  tree  some  distance  behind  the  gymnas- 
ium building;  and  the  boys  did  their  practising 
under  the  direction  of  Captain  Dale. 

"It  requires  considerable  practice  to  become 
an  expert  shot,"  said  the  military  instructor. 
"Once  in  a  while  we  find  someone  who  is  a  nat- 
ural-born sharpshooter,  but  that  is  very  rare. 
Some  of  the  best  shots  in  the  army  are  men  who, 
at  the  start,  hardly  knew  how  to  handle  fire- 
arms." 

At  this  target  practice  a  perfect  score  would 
have  netted  twenty-five  points.  The  contest  went 
on  rneTfHy,  and  at  the  conclusion  it  was  found 
that  Andy  had  scored  ten  points ;  Randy,  twelve ; 
Jack,  eighteen;  and  Fred,  nineteen.  One  other 
cadet,  a  youth  named  Lewis  Barrow,  had  scored 
twenty. 

"Well,  the  prize  goes  to  Barrow !"  cried  Jack. 

"Yes.  But  we  came  pretty  close  to  winning," 
cried  Fred,  with  justifiable  pride. 

"You  and  Jack  needn't  complain,"  was  Andy's 
comment.  "Eighteen  and  nineteen  points  out  of 
a  possible  twenty-five  is  going  some,  especially 
for  beginners." 


TARGET  PRACTICE  233 

"If  I  win  the  prize,  what  is  it?"  questioned 
Lewis  Barrow,  a  tall,  lanky  youth  with  a  rather 
leathery  face.  He  came  from  the  far  West,  and 
knew  much  more  about  firearms  than  did  the 
Rovers. 

"Oh,  the  prize  is  first  choice  of  holes  in  half  a 
dozen  doughnuts,"  snickered  Andy. 

"Holes  in  doughnuts!"  replied  Barrow,  who 
was  not  over-bright.  "Suffering  buffaloes! 
What  would  a  fellow  do  with  holes  out  of  dough^ 
nuts  ?"  and  at  this  there  was  a  little  laugh. 

"For  beginners,  I  think  you  have  all  done  very 
well,"  remarked  Captain  Dale.  "The  lowest 
score,  I  see,  is  nine.  Last  year  when  the  new 
cadets  went  at  practice,  we  had  several  fellows 
who  didn't  hit  the  target." 

"Gee !  I'd  hate  to  go  hunting  with  such  chaps," 
was  Andy's  dry  comment.  "A  fellow  would  have 
to  get  right  directly  in  front  of  'em  to  be  sure 
of  not  being  hit ;"  and  this  remark  made  even  the 
military  instructor  laugh. 

"I'll  be  proud  of  all  of  you,"  said  Major  Ralph 
Mason,  when  he  heard  of  the  scores  that  had  been 
made.  "First  thing  you  know,  we'll  have  a  com- 
pany of  genuine  sharpshooters." 

"This  practising  at  a  target  will  come  in  fine 
if  we  get  a  chance  to  do  any  hunting  this  win- 
ter," remarked  Fred.  "Wow!  Just  think  what 


234 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


would  have  happened  if  that  target  had  been  a 
deer,  or  even  a  partridge!" 

"A  deer  or  a  partridge  isn't  apt  to  stand  still," 
returned  Randy.  "If  you  want  to  become  expert 
as  a  hunting  shot,  you'll  have  to  practise  at  a 
swinging  target." 

"Well,  that's  to  come  later,  so  Captain  Dale 
said,"  was  the  answer. 

"Say,  let's  go  out  hunting  some  day  when  the 
season  opens !"  cried  Jack.  "I'd  like  first  rate  to 
bag  something,  even  if  it  were  only  a  few  rab- 
bits." 

"That'*  the  talk!"  answered  Fred,  quickly. 
"As  soon  as  the  hunting  season  opens  let's  go 
out,  by  all  means." 

The  target  practice  had  been  witnessed  by  Slug- 
ger Brown  and  Nappy  Martell.  Now,  when  Jack 
and  Fred  spoke  of  hunting,  Slugger  Brown's 
face  became  thoughtful. 

"I  think  I  see  a  way  to  square  accounts  with 
those  Rovers,"  he  remarked  to  his  crony.  "From 
now  on,  I'm  going  to  watch  'em  pretty  closely. 
If  ever  they  do  go  out  hunting,  I  think  we'll  be 
able  to  put  one  over  on  'em  they'll  never  forget." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE    FUN    OF    HALLOWE'EN 

\ 

"HALLOWE'EN  to-morrow  night,  boys!  So 
get  ready  for  some  real  fun!" 

"Right  you  are,  Andy!  Remember  what  fun 
we  had  last  year  in  New  York?" 

"And  what  fun  we  had  down  on  the  farm  two 
years  ago,  scaring  Aleck  Pop  and  Jack  Ness 
nearly  to  death?"  broke  in  Fred. 

"I  don't  know  whether  they'll  let  us  have  any 
fun  around  Colby  Hall  or  not,"  remarked  Jack, 
but  in  such  a  tone  of  voice  that  all  of  the  others 
knew  he  was  fooling. 

Several  days  had  passed  since  the  target  prac- 
tice, and  the  boys  were  gathered  in  the  room 
used  by  Andy  and  Randy  for  studying.  All 
were  deep  in  a  discussion  of  what  they  might  do 
on  Hallowe'en,  when  there  came  a  knock  on  the 
door  and  Dan  Soppinger  came  in. 

"Excuse  me  for  interrupting  you,"  commenced 
Dan,  "but  I'm  up  against  a  hard  proposition. 

Can  any  of  you  tell  me " 

235 


236         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Gee!  the  Human  Question  Mark  is  at  it 
again !"  broke  out  Randy. 

"Certainly  we  can  tell  you,"  put  in  Andy ;  "but 
please  don't  ask  it." 

"Three  and  three  make  six,  three  and  three  al- 
ways have  made  six,  and  three  and  three  always 
will  make  six!"  cried  Fred  in  a  girlish  tone  of 
voice.  "So  what's  the  use  of  asking  a  question 
like  that?" 

"Who  said  anything  about  three  and  three  mak- 
ing six?"  snorted  the  Human  Question  Mark. 
"What  I  was  going  to  say  was :  Can  any  of  you 
tell  me " 

"When  Nero  discovered  the  north  pole?"  in- 
terrupted Andy. 

"No.  He  wants  to  know  when  Washington 
first  crossed  the  Pacific  in  a  motor  boat,"  came 
from  Fred. 

"No;  that  isn't  it  at  all,"  declared  Jack,  seri- 
ously. "Dan  wants  to  know  what  kind  of  an 
automobile  Noah  took  on  the  ark." 

"Great  Scott!  What  do  you  take  me  for?" 
groaned  Dan  Soppinger,  helplessly.  "Here  I 
come  in  to  ask  you  a  perfectly  simple  question, 
and  you  start  with  a  lot  of  foolishness." 

"Why,  my  dear  Dan,  we  are  helping  you  al? 
we  can !"  cried  Andy  in  deeply  injured  tones. 

"I  want  to  know  when  Florida  was  first  settled 


THE  FUN  OF  HALLOWE'EN  237 

and  by  whom!"  cried  Dan,  desperately.  "I  bet 
ten  cents  none  of  you  know !" 

"Oh,  that's  easy,  Dan,"  answered  Andy, 
gravely.  "Florida  was  first  settled  by  the  alliga- 
tors, in  the  year  one;"  and  at  this  remark  there 
was  such  a  burst  of  laughter  that  the  Human 
Question  Mark  gave  it  up  in  despair  and  fled. 

"I've  got  a  great  scheme  for  Hallowe'en,"  said 
Andy  a  little  later.  He  had  been  walking  up  and 
down  the  room  trying  to  make  up  his  mind  what 
they  might  do  to  have  some  fun.  "I  wonder  if 
the  girls  over  at  Clearwater  Hall  wouldn't  lend 
us  some  dresses  and  some  girls'  hats  for  the  oc- 
casion." 

"They  might  if  we  agreed  to  lend  them  some 
of  our  suits  in  exchange." 

"Well,  we  could  do  that  easily  enough,"  an- 
swered Fred.  "We  hardly  ever  have  a  chance 
to  wear  anything  these  days  but  our  uniforms." 

"What  do  you  want  to  do,  Andy — dress  up  as 
a  girl?"  questioned  Jack. 

"That's  it.  We  might  have  dead  loads  of 
fun." 

The  matter  was  discussed  for  a  time,  and  in 
the  end  a  boy,  who  often  did  errands  for  the  ca- 
dets, was  dispatched  to  Clearwater  Hall  with  a 
note  to  Ruth  and  her  chums.  The  boy  had  per- 
formed this  sort  of  service  before,  and  knew  that 


238         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

he  must  deliver  the  note  without  allowing  the 
communication  to  go  through  the  school  office. 

The  messenger  returned  just  as  the  cadets  were 
on  the  point  of  retiring,  and  brought  back  a  let- 
ter from  the  girls  in  which  they  agreed  to  let  the 
boys  have  what  they  wanted  in  return  for  some 
suits  of  male  attire.  It  was  agreed  that  the  ex- 
change be  made  in  the  afternoon,  directly  after 
the  school  session. 

The  Rover  boys  and  two  of  their  friends 
walked  to  Haven  Point,  and  there  invested  some 
of  their  spending  money  in  the  hire  of  an  auto- 
mobile. Then  they  rode  back  to  the  school,  pro- 
cured several  bundles  of  clothing,  and  set  out  for 
Clearwater  Hall. 

The  girls  were  waiting  for  them  at  a  spot  se- 
cluded from  observation,  and  there  an  exchange 
of  bundles  took  place,  interspersed  with  a  good 
deal  of  laughing  by  the  cadets  and  giggling  on 
the  part  of  the  Clearwater  pupils. 

"Oh,  I'd  love  to  see  you  dressed  up  as  a  girl !" 
cried  Ruth  to  Jack. 

"How  about  your  being  dressed  up  as  a  boy?" 
he  returned. 

"Oh,  none  of  us  will  dare  show  ourselves  out- 
side the  grounds,"  returned  Ruth,  blushing. 
"Miss  Garwood  wouldn't  permit  it." 

"Well,  if  we  get  the  chance,  we  may  come  up 


THE  FUN  OF  HALLOWE'EN  239 

as  far  as  yonder  side  fence,"  put  in  Fred.  "If  we 
do,  we'll  give  you  the  signal — three  long  whis- 
tles." 

Nearly  all  of  the  cadets  at  Colby  Hall  were 
ready  for  Hallowe'en  fun.  They  dressed  up  in 
all  sorts  of  disguises,  including  those  of  monks, 
Indians,  negroes,  and  ghosts.  Lighted  pumpkins 
with  grinning  faces  cut  into  them  were  likewise 
numerous;  and  one  senior  trailed  around  in  a 
silk  gown  which  he  had  brought  from  home  for 
this  very  occasion. 

When  the  Rover  boys  appeared  dressed  as 
young  ladies,  with  girls'  hats  on  their  heads  and 
parasols  in  their  hands,  they  were  greeted  with 
a  loud  cheer,  and  this  was  redoubled  as  they 
marched  around  the  campus  arm  in  arm  with  sev- 
eral boys  dressed  as  dudes,  and  one  attired  as  an 
admiral. 

"Some  class  to  the  Rovers,  and  no  mistake!" 
was  Spouter's  comment.  He  had  on  a  pair  of 
long  whiskers,  a  linen  duster,  farm  boots,  and  a 
big  straw  hat. 

"How  do  you  do,  Uncle  Si  ?"  cried  Andy,  com- 
ing up  to  him  and  bowing.  "How  is  corn?" 

"So  high,  by  gosh!  y'u  can't  see  the  house," 
answered  Spouter  in  country  dialect.  "Do  tell, 
leetle  gal !  but  y'u  do  look  mighty  purty,  y'u  do !" 
and  at  this  there  was  a  general  snicker. 


240        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

At  the  first  opportunity,  the  Rovers  and  sev- 
eral of  their  friends  slipped  away  from  the 
campus  and  hurried  off  in  the  direction  of  Clear- 
water  Hall.  They  were  lucky  enough  to  meet  a 
big  wagon,  the  driver  of  which  was  going  to  the 
next  town  to  pick  up  some  young  folks  for  a 
straw  ride.  This  man  took  them  to  the  young 
ladies'  school  just  for  the  sport  of  it. 

When  the  Rovers  gave  the  signal,  Ruth  and 
her  friends  came  running  towards  the  side  fence 
of  the  grounds.  All  were  attired  in  male  cos- 
tumes, wearing  exaggerated  collars,  cuffs  and 
neckties.  In  addition,  Ruth  had  on  a  big  pair 
of  pick-toed  shoes  and  a  silk  hat  many  years  out 
of  date.  She  also  carried  a  silver-headed  cane. 

"Oh,  don't  you  want  to  take  us  out  for  a 
walk?"  questioned  Andy,  in  a  high-pitched,  fem- 
inine voice. 

"Very  sorry,  my  dear,  very  sorry,"  came  from 
May  Powell,  in  as  deep  a  voice  as  she  could  com- 
mand. "I  have  important  business  to  attend  to." 

"Oh,  Jack,  what  an  awfully  big  girl  you  do 
make!"  screamed  Ruth,  when  she  discovered  his 
identity  behind  the  little  mask  he  wore.  "I  didn't 
know  you  were  so  large." 

"And  what  a  little  man  you  are,"  he  answered, 
gaily. 

"Don't  say  a  word,"  she  returned.    "See  these 


THE  FUN  OF  HALLOWE'EN  241 

sleeves?  They  are  all  rolled  up;  and  I  had  to 
do  the  same  with  the  trousers,"  and  she  laughed 
merrily. 

Although  acting  against  the  rules,  the  Rovers 
and  their  friends  found  an  opening  in  the  fence, 
and  for  a  brief  quarter  of  an  hour  mingled  with 
the  girls  on  the  campus  of  the  school.  They  had 
"a  barrel  of  fun,"  to  use  Andy's  way  of  express- 
ing it,  and  left  only  because  it  was  getting  late 
and  they  knew  they  would  have  to  walk  all  the 
way  back  to  Colby  Hall. 

"This  is  about  the  best  Hallowe'en  fun  we  ever 
had,"  remarked  Jack,  while  he  and  the  others 
were  on  the  return  to  the  school. 

To  make  time,  the  boys  did  not  take  the  regu- 
lar road  through  Haven  Point  to  Colby  Hall,  but 
tramped  along  a  back  highway  which  was  con- 
sidered something  of  a  short  cut.  This  pres- 
ently brought  them  in  sight  of  a  large  farm  which 
belonged  to  a  hard-fisted  man  named  Elias  Lacy. 

"Say,  we  ought  to  call  on  old  Lacy  and  give 
him  a  scare,"  said  Randy,  coming  to  a  halt  near 
the  farmhouse. 

"It  would  serve  him  right!"  answered  Fred, 
promptly. 

None  of  the  Rovers  had  a  kindly  feeling  for 
Elias  Lacy,  for  the  reason  that  the  old  man  had 
once  caught  them  getting  chestnuts  from  a  tree 


242        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

on  the  corner  of  his  farm  and  had  made  them 
give  up  all  the  nuts  they  had  gathered  and  had 
then  threatened  them  with  the  law  if  thejr  dared 
to  set  foot  on  his  premises  again. 

"I  know  you  cadets,"  he  had  snarled.  "You 
are  all  a  pack  of  petty  thieves!  I  want  you  to 
keep  away  from  here." 

He  had  suffered  a  great  deal,  some  cadets,  in- 
cluding Slugger  Brown  and  Nappy  Martell, 
having  at  various  times  robbed  him  of  his  cher- 
ries, his  strawberries,  and  some  melons.  Of  these 
depredations,  however,  the  Rovers  knew  nothing. 

"Maybe  Lacy  isn't  around,"  remarked  Jack. 
"He  may  have  gone  to  town." 

They  knew  that  the  old  man  was  a  bachelor. 
He  had  two  young  men  working  for  him,  and 
also  a  woman  who  came  in  during  the  day  to  do 
the  housework,  but  all  of  these  went  home  at 
night. 

"I  see  somebody  moving  around  the  house 
now,"  answered  Randy.  "It's  Lacy,  too!" 

"Let's  knock  on  the  door  and  pretend  we  are 
young  ladies  in  distress,"  cried  Randy.  "Come 
on !  I  wonder  what  he'll  do  ?" 

"Don't  ask  him  for  any  money.  He  won't  give 
you  a  cent,"  chuckled  Fred. 

"Let's  tell  him  some  tramps  stopped  us  and 
that  we  want  him  to  go  out  and  fight  the  fel- 


THE  FUN  OF  HALLOWE'EN  243 

lows,"  suggested  one  cadet.    "That  will  show  how 
brave  a  man  Lacy  is.  We  can  take  off  our  masks." 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  in  a  minute  more  the 
boys  were  all  on  the  front  piazza  of  the  farm- 
house ringing  the  old  doorbell.  There  was  a 
sound  within,  and  in  a  moment  more  Elias  Lacy 
came  to  the  door  with  a  lamp  in  one  hand. 

"What  do  you  want?"  he  asked  in  astonish- 
ment, when  he  saw  what  looked  to  be  a  number 
of  well-dressed  girls  confronting  him. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Lacy,  won't  you  please  protect  us?" 
pleaded  Randy,  in  his  best  feminine  voice. 

"Three  murderous  tramps  are  after  us!" 
gasped  Andy.  "Oh,  dear !  I  know  I  shall  faint !" 

"The  tramps  wanted  to  rob  us!"  cried  Jack. 

"They  are  just  outside  your  fence,"  put  in 
Fred.  "Please  go  out  and  chase  them  away." 

Elias  Lacy  was  staggered.  He  placed  his  lamp 
on  a  little  table  near  by,  and  looked  in  wonder  at 
the  crowd  before  him. 

"Three  tramps,  eh?  An'  goin'  to  rob  you? 
Why,  I  never  heard  of  sech  a  thing !"  he  shrilled. 
"Mebbe  I'd  better  git  my  gun." 

"Oh,  yes!  yes!  Get  your  gun,  by  all  means! 
Get  your  gun!  And  maybe  you'd  better  get  a 
sword,  too !"  cried  Randy. 

"Yes!  Or  a  knife  or  a — a — razor,"  put  ra 
Andy. 


244         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Now,  now !  don't  git  so  excited !"  cried  the  old 
man,  for  the  boys  insisted  upon  clinging  to  his 
arms  and  to  his  shoulders.  "Them  tramps  ain't 
goin'  to  eat  you  up." 

He  was  short-sighted,  and,  as  the  lamplight 
was  poor,  he  had  not  noticed  the  boys'  somewhat 
crude  make-up.  He  hurried  into  a  room  and 
came  forth  presently  carrying  a  shotgun.  Then 
he  walked  back  into  his  kitchen. 

"Great  Csesar!  he's  got  his  gun  all  right 
enough,"  said  Jack  in  a  low  voice. 

"Maybe  he'll  use  it  on  us  when  he  discovers  the 
trick,"  returned  Fred. 

"I'll  git  my  lantern,  an'  then  we  kin  go  after 
them  tramps,"  announced  Elias  Lacy;  and  in  a 
moment  more  he  reappeared  with  a  smoky  lan- 
tern and  started  for  the  front  door.  "Come  on, 
an'  show  me  where  them  tramps  are,"  he  said, 
determinedly. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

OFF   ON   A    HUNT 

"SAY,  as  soon  as  we  are  outdoors  let  us  give 
him  the  ha-ha  and  run  away,"  whispered  Fred 
to  the  others. 

"Oh,  no !  Let's  have  some  more  fun,"  pleaded 
Randy.  "Why !  the  sport  has  just  begun !" 

"That's  it !"  came  from  his  twin. 

"Don't  forget  we  are  due  at  the  Hall,"  remon- 
strated Jack. 

"Now  then,  show  me  them  tramps !"  cried  Elias 
Lacy,  as  the  whole  crowd  went  outdoors  and  to- 
wards the  front  gate. 

"Oh,  protect  us !  Please  protect  us !"  shrieked 
Randy,  and  caught  hold  of  the  old  man's  coat- 
tails. 

"Don't  let  the  tramps  abduct  us !  I  don't  want 
to  live  with  any  tramp !  I  want  to  marry  a  mil- 
lionaire!" screamed  Andy,  and  began  to  cling 
so  close  to  Elias  Lacy  that  the  old  man  could 
hardly  move  forward. 

The  twins  cut  up  so  that  the  others  had  all  they 
245 


246         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

could  do  to  keep  from  laughing.  One  boy  began 
to  snicker,  but  promptly  clapped  his  hand  over 
his  mouth. 

"Don't  hang  on  to  me,"  ordered  the  old  farmer. 
"I  can't  use  my  gun  if  you  clutch  my  arm  like 
that,"  and  he  tried  to  shake  the  twins  off. 

"Oh,  there  they  are — behind  the  bushes!" 
screamed  Randy,  suddenly,  pointing  off  to  the 
left. 

"Where?"  demanded  the  old  man,  holding  his 
lantern  over  his  head.  "I  don't  see  nothin'." 

"There  they  are!"  screamed  Andy.  "They've 
got  pistols,  too !  Oh,  save  us !  Save  us !" 

"Drat  the  pesky  rascals !  I'll  fix  'em !"  snarled 
Elias  Lacy,  and,  shaking  loose  the  clinging  boys, 
he  ran  off,  lantern  in  one  hand  and  shotgun  held 
up  to  his  shoulder  with  the  other. 

"Now  is  our  time  to  skip  out !"  cried  Jack. 

"Right  you  are !"  added  another  of  the  crowd. 
And  then  wrthout  waiting  for  the  rest,  this  cadet 
let  up  a  cry :  "Sold !  Mr.  Lacy,  you  are  sold !" 

"Sold!  With  the  compliments  of  the  Colby 
Hall  cadets!"  cried  another.  And  then,  seeing 
that  the  disguise  was  at  an  end,  the  boys  began 
to  shout  a  variety  of  things  not  at  all  complimen- 
tary to  the  old  farmer. 

Elias  Lacy  was  thunderstruck  by  the  sudd«n 
turn  of  affairs,  and,  wheeling  around,  he  stared 


OFF  ON  A  HUNT 


247 


in  open-mouthed  wonder  at  the  retreating  girlish 
figures. 

"What's  that?"  he  shrilled.  "What  are  you 
runnin'  away  fur?" 

"Good-bye,  Mr.  Lacy!"  sang  out  Randy. 
"We're  only  having  a  little  fun." 

"Don't  you  know  it's  Hallowe'en?"  queried 
Andy ;  and  then  started  to  walk  off  on  his  hands, 
but  the  the  dress  he  wore  fell  down  around  him 
and  caused  him  to  tumble  over  on  his  back.  In 
the  gloom,  Fred  stumbled  and  fell  on  top  of  him. 

"Fun!  Hallowe'en!"  bellowed  Elias  Lacy,  and 
of  a  sudden  he  became  filled  with  rage.  "You 
ain't  gals  at  all!  You're  only  playin'  a  trick  on 
me!"  he  snarled. 

"Good-bye  and  pleasant  dreams!"  shouted 
Randy. 

"Don't  tell  any  of  your  friends  about  the  young 
ladies  who  called  on  you,"  advised  Jack. 

And  then  the  other  cadets  made  various  taunt- 
ing remarks.  They  had  come  to  a  halt  to  enjoy 
the  old  farmer's  discomfiture  and  at  the  same  time 
to  give  Andy  and  Fred  a  chance  to  regain  their 
feet. 

"Halt!"  suddenly  commanded  Elias  Lacy,  and 
set  down  his  lantern  on  a  fence  post.  "Halt !  or 
I'll  shoot  some  of  you!"  and  he  aimed  his  sho*- 
gun  at  them. 


248         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Don't  shoot!"  cried  several  of  the  cadets  in 
alarm,  for  they  could  see  that  the  old  man  was 
in  a  frame  of  mind  to  do  almost  anything. 

"Stop !  Don't  you  dare  stir  a  step  or  I'll  shoot 
as  sure  as  you're  standin'  there!"  continued  the 
old  man.  And  then,  as  all  of  the  boys  halted  he 
went  on:  "Now  come  up  here  where  I  kin  git  a 
good  look  at  you,  but  don't  you  come  too  clost 
or  try  to  play  any  more  tricks.  If  you  do,  some- 
body'11  sure  git  shot." 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  rather  sheep- 
ishly the  crowd  of  cadets  came  forward  as  he  had 
ordered. 

"It  was  only  a  bit  of  Hallowe'en  fun.  We 
didn't  mean  any  harm,"  pleaded  Randy. 

"Take  them  bunnets  an'  things  off  so  I  kin  see 
your  faces,"  ordered  the  old  man,  at  the  same  time 
keeping  the  crowd  covered  with  his  shotgun. 

With  great  reluctance  one  after  another  the 
cadets  took  off  their  veils  and  hats.  The  old 
man  came  a  step  or  two  closer,  looking  at  each 
face  sharply.  His  countenance  grew  even  more 
hateful  when  he  recognized  the  Rovers. 

"Ha!  you're  the  same  fellers  who  robbed  my 
chestnut  tree,"  he  snarled.  "Didn't  I  tell  you 
to  keep  off  my  premises?  I've  a  good  mind  to 
have  you  locked  up." 

"Oh,  come,  Mr.  Lacy,  it  was  only  a  bit  of  fun," 


OFF  ON  A  HUNT 


249 


pleaded  one  lad.  "Didn't  you  go  out  on  Hallo- 
we'ens when  you  were  a  boy?" 

"No,  I  didn't!  I  stayed  home  an'  done  my 
work,"  was  the  harsh  reply.  "Nowadays  boys 
cut  up  altogether  too  much." 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  shotgun  the  boys  would 
have  taken  to  their  heels;  but  with  the  old  man 
thus  armed  none  of  them  wanted  to  take  any 
chances.  But  then  came  a  lucky  interruption. 
From  back  on  the  farm  came  a  wild  bellowing 
as  if  a  cow  was  in  trouble.  This  was  followed 
by  the  squealing  of  a  number  of  pigs. 

"Hello!  Those  town  boys  must  have  come 
over  after  your  cattle  after  all !"  cried  Jack,  struck 
by  a  sudden  idea. 

"My  cattle !  What  do  you  know  about  my  cat- 
tle?" questioned  Elias  Lacy,  quickly. 

"That's  it !  The  town  boys  are  after  the  cows 
and  pigs!"  broke  in  Fred,  quick  to  catch  Jack's 
idea. 

"You'll  lose  them  all  if  you  don't  look  out,  Mr. 
Lacy !"  put  in  Randy. 

"They  sha'n't  tech  my  cows,  nor  my  pigs 
neither!"  snarled  the  old  farmer;  and,  taking  up 
his  lantern,  he  left  the  cadets  and  ran  off  towards 
the  rear  of  the  premises.  Fortunately,  nothing 
serious  had  happened  to  his  stock. 

"Now's  the  time  to  skip  out!"  cried  Jack,  and 


250         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

led  the  way,  and  the  others  lost  no  time  in  fol- 
lowing. The  cadets  had  to  hold  their  skirts  high 
to  keep  from  tripping  as  they  sped  along.  They 
reached  Colby  Hall  in  safety,  and  lost  no  time  in 
rejoining  their  friends.  A  little  later  the  Hallo- 
we'en celebration  came  to  an  end. 

"Old  Lacy  will  remember  us,"  was  Andy's  com- 
ment, in  speaking  of  the  affair  the  next  day. 
"He'll  have  it  in  for  us." 

"I'm  afraid  so,"  replied  Jack,  seric/tfslc. 

The  main  topic  of  conversation  94  the  school 
now  was  the  football  game  whic/i  Was  to  take 
place  with  the  eleven  of  the  Clearwater  Country 
Club  on  the  following  Saturday.  This  was  an- 
other gala  occasion  for  the  school,  and  once  more 
the  boys  had  the  pleasure  of  escorting  the  girls 
to  and  from  the  conflict. 

"I  hope  we  can  do  them  up  as  we  did  Hixley 
High,"  remarked  Jack.  But  this  was  not  to  be. 
The  Clearwater  Country  Club  eleven  were  much 
older  than  the  cadets  and  much  heavier,  and  all 
the  Colby  Hall  team  could  do  was  to  hold  them 
down  to  a  score  of  16  to  10. 

"Well,  that's  not  so  bad  but  what  it  might  be 
worse,"  remarked  Gif,  when  the  defeated  eleven 
had  returned  to  Colby  Hall.  "I  did  hope,  how- 
ever, that  we  might  hold  them  to  at  least  a  tie." 

"They  carried  too  much  weight  for  us,"  re- 


OFF  ON  A  HUNT  251 

plied  Jack.  "Even  Slugger  Brown  couldn't  do 
anything  against  them."  For  Slugger  had  been 
used  as  a  substitute  in  the  third  and  fourth  quar- 
ters. But  the  big  cadet  had  failed  to  show  either 
form  or  efficiency.  He  had  been  warned  by  the 
umpire,  because  of  an  unfair  tackle,  and  this  had 
put  him  in  anything  but  a  good  humor. 

"I  won't  play  again  so  long  as  Gif  Garrison 
is  captain !"  cried  Slugger  to  Nappy  Martell ;  and 
that  evening  he  sent  in  his  resignation,  which  Gif 
promptly  accepted. 

The  game  with  Columbus  Academy  was  not 
to  take  place  until  two  weeks  later,  so  that,  al- 
though they  kept  at  their  practice,  the  football 
players  had  considerable  time  for  other  things. 
Jack  and  his  cousins  had  continued  their  target 
practice,  and  their  shooting  was  now  so  accurate 
that  Captain  Dale  complimented  them  upon  it. 

"The  hunting  season  opens  to-morrow,"  an- 
nounced Jack  one  day,  as  he  came  back  from  an 
errand  to  the  town.  "How  I'd  like  to  go  out 
and  try  my  luck !" 

"I'd  like  to  go  myself,"  spoke  up  Fred. 

A  number  of  the  senior  cadets  had  received 
permission  to  go  hunting  and  Jack  spoke  to  one 
of  these  youths  about  the  prospects. 

"I'd  like  first  rate  to  have  you  come  with  me, 
Rover,"  said  the  cadet,  Frank  Newberry  by  name; 


252       THE  Rorzx  sors  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"and  if  your  cousin  Fred  wants  to  come  along, 
he  can  do  so." 

"We'd  have  to  get  permission  first,  and  also 
permission  to  use  a  couple  of  the  shotguns,"  an- 
swered Jack.  The  gun  rack  at  Colby  Hall  boasted 
a  number  of  these  weapons,  but  none  of  them 
could  be  taken  out  and  used  without  special  per- 
mission from  Captain  Dale. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  for  Jack  and  Fred  to 
gain  the  desired  permission,  but  when  Colonel 
Colby  heard  from  Captain  Dale  what  good  shots 
the  boys  had  proved  to  be,  he  said  they  might  go 
out,  along  with  Frank  Newberry  and  some  of  the 
others. 

"But  I  want  you  to  be  very  careful,"  said  the 
colonel  impressively.  "I  wouldn't  have  an  acci- 
dent happen  to  you  for  the  world.  Don't  fire  a 
charge  until  you  are  absolutely  sure  of  what 
you're  firing  at.  Never  point  your  gun  at  any- 
body else;  and  be  very  careful  how  you  handle 
your  weapon  in  climbing  a  fence  or  leaping  over 
rocks  or  brushwood." 

The  twins  were  a  bit  envious  over  the  pros- 
pects for  their  cousins,  but  they  wished  Jack  and 
Fred  the  best  of  luck.  All  of  the  cadets  who 
were  to  go  out  had  lessons  in  the  morning,  but 
they  departed  directly  after  dinner,  and  were  told 
that  they  could  remain  out  as  long  as  they  pleased. 


OFF  ON  A  HUNT  253 

"Now,  don't  forget  to  bring  back  a  deei  jt 
a  bear,"  cried  Andy. 

"And  if  you  can,  bag  a  buffalo  or  a  hippopota- 
mus," added  his  twin. 

"We'll  be  lucky  if  we  bag  some  rabbits  anc1  « 
squirrel  or  two  or  some  woodcock,"  answered 
Jack.  "Big  game  doesn't  exist  around  here  any 
more.  The  farms  are  too  thick." 

"Well,  be  sure  and  bring  down  a  pink  canary 
bird,  anyway,"  advised  Andy;  and  at  this  there 
was  a  general  laugh. 

Frank  Newberry  had  been  out  the  year  before, 
and  consequently  knew  much  about  the  lay  of 
the  land. 

"We'll  go  down  into  the  woods  directly  back  of 
Haven  Point,"  he  announced.  "Last  year  the 
hunting  there  was  much  better  than  it  was  up 
the  Rick  Rack  River." 

And  then  off  the  cadets  started  on  the  hunt 
Much  that  was  unusual  lay  in  store  for  them. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

FROM    ONE   TROUBLE   TO   ANOTHER 

HALF  an  hour  of  tramping  brought  the  two 
Rover  boys  and  their  friends  into  the  heart  of 
the  big  woods  Frank  Newberry  had  mentioned. 
They  had  entered  it  by  way  of  the  road  they  had 
used  on  Hallowe'en,  and  were  now  almost  di- 
rectly behind  Elias  Lacy's  farm.  In  fact,  al- 
though they  were  not  aware  of  this,  a  large 
section  of  the  woods  belonged  to  the  old  farmer. 

On  their  way  into  the  timber  they  had  heard 
various  shots  at  a  distance,  showing  that  other 
hunters  were  abroad.  Then  came  a  report  so  close 
at  hand,  it  made  Fred  jump. 

"You  want  to  be  very  careful  so  that  you  don't 
mistake  some  other  hunter  for  game,"  cautioned 
Frank  Newberry. 

"Exactly !"  grumbled  Fred.  "And  I  want  the 
other  hunters  to  be  careful  that  they  don't  shoot 
me  for  a  deer  or  a  bear." 

The  cadets  continued  to  advance  into  the  woods, 
and  then  crossed  an  open  space.  Here  they  were 
254 


FROM  ONE  TROUBLE  TO  ANOTHER 


255 


fortunate  enough  to  stir  up  quite  a  few  rabbits, 
and  Jack,  after  an  hour's  hunt,  had  the  pleasure 
of  bringing  down  two,  while  one  was  laid  low  by 
Fred. 

So  far  the  cadets  had  kept  together,  but  pres- 
ently the  party  managed  to  catch  sight  of  game  in 
two  directions,  and  soon  Frank  Newberry  and  the 
seniors  with  him  were  hurrying  off  to  the  south- 
ward while  the  Rover  boys  went  after  game  that 
had  gone  northward. 

"Come  right  back  to  this  spot!"  cried  Frank 
Newberry  to  the  Rovers. 

"All  right,"  answered  Jack. 

Their  sporting  blood,  aroused  by  the  game  al- 
ready brought  down,  urged  Jack  and  Fred  for- 
ward, and  almost  before  they  knew  it  they  had 
covered  a  long  distance.  They  presently  came  to 
another  clearing,  bordering  a  good-sized  pond. 
Here  they  stirred  up  half  a  dozen  rabbits  and  also 
some  squirrels,  and  each  succeeded  in  bringing 
down  more  than  half  the  game  sighted. 

"Say,  this  is  the  finest  sport  ever!"  declared 
Fred,  as  he  looked  at  his  game  with  deep  satisfac- 
tion. "Won't  the  others  envy  us  when  we  get 
back  to  the  Hall  with  these !" 

"It's  sport  enough  for  us,"  returned  Jack.  "I 
don't  know  what  the  rabbits  and  squirrels  think 
about  it  though,"  he  added  dryly. 


256         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

From  a  distance  the  boys  had  seen  more  game 
and  they  began  to  circle  the  pond.  Then  they 
heard  a  strange  whirring  in  some  bushes  a  dis- 
tance further  on. 

"Maybe  we'll  come  across  some  wild  turkeys  or 
something  like  that,"  said  Fred. 

"I  don't  believe  there  are  any  wild  turkeys 
around  here,"  answered  Jack. 

"Oh!  wouldn't  it  be  fine  if  we  sighted  a  deer 
or  a  bear?"  sighed  Fred. 

"You  don't  want  much  for  your  money,  do 
you?"  laughed  his  cousin.  "I  rather  think  if  a 
bear  came  after  you  you'd  take  to  your  heels." 

"Maybe  I  would — if  he  was  a  big  one." 

On  and  on  went  the  two  boys,  and  presently 
were  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  several  small 
woodcock.  Both  fired  almost  at  the  same  instant, 
and  two  of  the  birds  came  fluttering  down,  to 
thrash  around  in  the  bushes  until  put  out  of  mis- 
ery by  the  young  hunters. 

"Two  of  'em!  Think  of  that!"  chuckled 
Fred.  "Oh !  this  is  simply  glorious !" 

So  far  the  two  boys  had  not  met  any  of  the 
strange  hunters,  but  now  they  came  across  two 
men  well  loaded  down  with  rabbits.  They  did 
not  know  it,  but  one  of  the  men  was  a  farm  hand 
employed  by  Elias  Lacy. 

"You'd  better  keep  away  from  the  Lacy  place," 


FROM  ONE  TROUBLE  TO  ANOTHER       257 

said  the  man,  with  a  sarcastic  look  at  the  Rovers. 
He  had  been  on  hand  when  the  lads  had  had  the 
chestnuts  taken  away  by  the  old  farmer,  and  had 
also  heard  about  the  joke  on  Hallowe'en. 

"Don't  you  worry.  We've  no  use  for  Mr. 
Lacy,"  returned  Fred,  crossly. 

"He's  the  meanest  man  we  ever  met,"  added 
Jack.  At  this  the  farm  hand  only  grinned,  and 
then  he  and  his  companion  disappeared  once  more 
into  the  woods. 

So  far  the  day  had  been  typical  of  the  Autumn 
season,  somewhat  gray,  with  only  an  occasional 
showing  of  the  sun.  Now,  however,  it  became 
rapidly  darker,  and  presently  a  few  flakes  of  snow 
sifted  down  through  the  air. 

"Hello !  What  do  you  know  about  this !"  cried 
Jack,  looking  up.  "I  guess  we're  going  to  have 
a  snowstorm." 

"Oh,  I  hope  it  doesn't  snow  very  heavily — at 
least  not  until  we  get  back  to  school,"  returned 
Fred,  quickly. 

"A  little  snow  won't  hurt  us,  Fred." 

"But  if  it  got  too  thick,  Jack,  we  might  lose  our 
way." 

"I  don't  believe  it  will  come  down  as  heavily 
as  all  that — not  at  this  season  of  the  year." 

With  the  sky  growing  darker,  and  the  flakes 
of  snow  coming  down  thicker  than  ever,  the  two 


258         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

boys  sought  to  retrace  their  steps  in  the  direction 
of  the  pond.  But  in  their  eagerness  to  sight  some- 
thing at  which  to  shoot,  they  had  not  noted  their 
path  very  carefully,  and  as  a  consequence  they 
now  found  themselves  somewhat  bewildered. 

"If  the  sun  was  only  out  we'd  know  in  what 
direction  to  steer,"  remarked  Jack.  "But  when 
the  sky  is  this  way,  a  fellow  is  apt  to  get  com- 
pletely turned  around." 

"It's  too  bad  we  didn't  bring  a  pocket  com- 
pass." 

"That's  true.  However,  we  haven't  got  one,  so 
we'll  have  to  make  the  best  of  it.  Come  on !" 

They  had  paused  for  a  moment  to  rest  and  to 
survey  their  surroundings.  Now  they  continued 
their  tramping,  and  at  length  came  out  on  the 
edge  of  a  sheet  of  water  which  they  at  first  took 
to  be  the  pond  they  had  previously  visited. 

"There  they  go !  Quick,  Jack !"  sang  out  Fred, 
and  blazed  away  with  his  shotgun.  His  cousin 
followed  suit,  and  soon  they  found  they  had 
bagged  two  additional  rabbits — one  the  largest 
yet  brought  low. 

"This  isn't  the  pond  at  all !"  cried  Jack,  in  some 
disappointment,  after  the  excitement  of  shoot- 
ing the  rabbits  had  subsided.  "I  never  saw  this 
spot  before." 

"Nor  I !    What  do  you  make  of  it,  Jack  ?" 


FROM  ONE  TROUBLE  TO  ANOTHER       259 

''Don't  ask  me !    It  looks  as  if  we  were  lost." 

"Hark !  I  heard  a  shot !"  cried  Fred,  a  minute 
later,  while  the  pair  were  looking  around  trying 
to  make  up  their  minds  in  what  direction  to  pro- 
ceed next.  "Maybe  those  are  our  fellows  shoot- 
ing." 

The  shot  had  come  from  their  right,  and  was 
presently  followed  by  another.  Thinking  their 
friends  might  be  close  at  hand,  the  Rovers  started 
off  as  well  as  they  could  through  the  brushwood 
and  between  the  trees.  But  then  they  came  to 
some  rough  ground  covered  with  rocks,  and  here 
further  progress  was  all  but  impossible.  In  the 
meanwhile,  no  further  reports  had  reached  their 
cars. 

"We  are  sure  up  against  it,"  remarked  Jack, 
after  he  and  his  cousin  had  looked  at  each  other 
rather  helplessly.  It  was  darker  than  ever,  and 
the  snow  still  continued  to  sift  down  through  the 
trees. 

"Maybe  we'll  have  to  stay  out  here  all  night," 
said  Fred,  after  consulting  his  watch.  "It's  half 
past  five  now." 

"We  ought  to  be  on  the  way  back  to  the  Hall 
if  we  expect  any  supper,"  replied  his  cousin. 

Being  unable  to  advance  further  in  that  direc- 
tion, the  Rover  boys  sought  to  retrace  their  stepsv 
and  after  considerable  trouble  managed  to  re 


turn  to  the  sheet  of  water  they  had  left  a  while 
before.  But  by  this  time  the  darkness  of  night 
had  fallen. 

"It's  no  use!"  cried  Fred,  helplessly.  "We're 
lost,  that's  all  there  is  to  it !" 

"It  was  bad  enough  while  it  was  daylight, 
Fred.  I  really  don't  know  what  we  are  going  to 
do  now  it's  dark,"  answered  Jack,  seriously. 

On  the  return  to  the  little  pond  Fred  had 
stumbled  over  some  tree  roots,  and  this  had 
lamed  him  a  little. 

"I  can't  walk  very  much  further,"  he  said,  with 
a  sigh.  And  then  he  added  quickly :  "Jack,  have 
you  any  matches?" 

"Oh,  yes !  I  put  a  box  in  my  pocket  before  we 
started." 

"Good !  Then  if  we  have  to  stay  here  we  can 
build  a  fire  and  maybe  cook  something." 

The  boys  tried  the  water  of  the  pond,  and 
finding  it  fairly  good  drank  their  fill.  Then  they 
sat  down  to  discuss  the  situation.  Both  were 
hungry,  and  in  the  end  they  gathered  some  dry 
sticks,  started  a  fire,  and  cooked  one  of  the  rab- 
bits and  also  a  squirrel,  which  they  ate  with  much 
satisfaction. 

"We'll  freeze  to  death  if  we  stay  here  all 
night,"  was  Fred's  dismal  comment. 

"Oh,  no — not  if  we  keep  the  fire  going." 


FROM  ONE  TROUBLE  TO  ANOTHER       261 

"Then  let's  do  that  by  all  means.  It  will  not 
only  keep  us  warm,  but  it  may  be  the  means  of 
directing  somebody  to  this  place." 

It  was  a  long  night  for  both  of  the  boys.  They 
took  turns  at  resting  and  at  replenishing  the  fire, 
and  it  is  doubtful  if  either  of  them  got  much 
real  sleep.  Once,  in  the  early  morning,  came  an 
alarm,  and  Fred  imagined  a  bear  was  in  the 
bushes.  But  the  animal,  or  whatever  it  was,  soon 
went  away,  and  that  was  the  end  of  the  disturb- 
ance. 

"Thank  goodness!  it  has  stopped  snowing!" 
remarked  Jack,  when  the  cousins  were  preparing 
a  breakfast  of  another  squirrel. 

The  snow  had  not  amounted  to  much,  being 
less  than  an  inch  in  depth.  The  storm  had  cleared 
away  entirely,  and  at  the  proper  time  the  sun 
came  up  over  the  hills  beyond  Clearwater  Lake. 

Long  before  that  time  the  two  young  hunters 
were  once  more  on  their  way.  They  had  tramped 
along  for  fully  half  an  hour  when  suddenly  Jack 
let  up  a  shout  of  joy. 

"Hurrah!  we've  struck  a  road  at  last!  Now 
we'll  find  out  where  we  are !" 

The  road  was  little  more  than  a  trail  through 
the  woods,  evidently  made  by  the  wagon  or  sled 
of  some  woodcutter.  It  ran  down  a  slight  hill, 
and  the  two  boys  lost  no  time  in  following  it 


262         "THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"I  hope  it  brings  us  into  Haven  Point,"  re- 
marked Fred,  as  they  strode  along.  "I'm  getting 
tired  of  walking  and  of  carrying  the  shotgun.  I'd 
rather  have  a  ride." 

"Let  us  be  thankful  to  get  out  of  the  woods, 
Fred.  We  might  have  gotten  so  mixed  up  that 
we'd  have  had  to  spend  another  night  there." 

The  two  lads  continued  to  follow  the  woods 
road,  and  presently  came  into  sight  of  several 
farm  buildings,  including  a  corncrib  and  a  long, 
low  cowshed. 

"Oh,  for  the  love  of  doughnuts!"  cried  Jack 
an  instant  later.  "Fred,  do  you  know  where  we 
are?" 

"No,  I  don't.    Where?" 

"Right  in  the  back  of  old  Lacy's  place !  There 
is  his  house;"  and  the  oldest  Rover  boy  pointed 
with  his  hand. 

"You're  right,  Jack !  Gee !  we  almost  ran  into 
the  old  man  again,  didn't  we?"  gasped  Fred. 
"We  had  better  get  out  of  here  as  quick  as  we 
can!" 

"Now  you're  saying  something!"  returned  his 
cousin.  "Come  on,  before  he  catches  sight  of 
us!" 

The  two  boys  had  just  started  to  leave  the  road 
on  which  they  had  been  traveling  when  a  shout 
reached  their  ears.  The  next  moment  another 


FROM  ONE  TROUBLE  TO  ANOTHER       263 

shout  rent  the  frosty  morning  air,  and  then  two 
men  came  running  towards  the  lads,  one  car- 
rying a  gun  and  the  other  a  pitchfork. 

"Stop  there !  you  young  rascals !  Stop !"  roared 
out  the  voice  of  Elias  Lacy.  "Stop,  I  tell  you! 
Caleb,  cover  'em  with  your  gun !" 

"I'm  doin'  it,  Mr.  Lacy,"  replied  the  other  man, 
and  leveled  his  gun  at  the  boys.  He  was  the 
same  man  the  Rovers  had  met  in  the  woods  the 
afternoon  before. 

With  the  weapon  of  the  farm  hand  pointed  at 
them  the  two  Rover  boys  came  to  a  halt.  In  a 
minute  more  the  others  came  up,  Elias  Lacy 
puffing  because  of  his  exertions. 

"Now  I've  caught  you !"  he  snarled.  "I  didn't 
think  it  was  goin'  to  be  so  easy." 

"You're  certainly  in  luck,  Mr.  Lacy,"  grinned 
Caleb  Boggs.  "I  didn't  think  they'd  stay  roun' 
here  after  doin'  it." 

"They  came  back  jest  to  have  the  laugh  on 
me!"  snarled  the  old  farmer.  "I  know  'em!  I 
s'pose  they  did  it  'cause  I  took  them  chestnuts 
away  from  'em,  an'  on  account  o'  the  way  I 
treated  'em  Hallowe'en  night.  But  I'll  fix  'em 
now !  I'll  have  the  law  on  'em !  I'll  send  'em  to 
state's  prison  for  ten  years!  Jest  you  see  if  I 
don't!"  and  thus  the  old  man  spluttered  on,  say- 
ing many  things  the  boys  could  not  understand. 


264        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"See  here,  Mr.  Lacy!  What  are  you  so  mad 
about?"  queried  Jack,  finally.  "Can't  you  stand 
a  little  fun?" 

"Stand  a  little  fun!"  yelled  the  excited  old 
man,  fairly  beside  himself  with  rage.  "It  ain't 
no  fun  to  kill  two  o'  my  cows!"  He  shook  his 
bony  fist  at  the  boys.  "I'll  have  the  law  on  you, 
so  I  will!  I'll  send  you  both  to  state's  prison 
for  ten  years !" 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

ELIAS   LACY'S  DEMAND 

THE  two  Rover  boys  stared  at  Elias  Lacy  in 
open-mouthed  amazement. 

"What  did  you  say  about  killing  two  cows?" 
questioned  Jack. 

"Have  two  of  your  cows  been  killed?"  came 
from  Fred. 

At  these  questions  the  old  farmer  seemed  to 
become  more  enraged  than  ever.  He  raised  his 
pitchfork  as  if  to  use  it  on  the  cadets. 

"You  can't  play  innercent  with  me !"  he  fairly 
screamed.  "I  know  you!  You  shot  them  cows, 
an'  I'm  a-goin'  to  send  you  to  state's  prison  fur 
it!" 

"It's  a  purty  serious  business — killin'  a  man's 
cattle  like  that,"  added  Caleb  Boggs,  with  a  shake 
of  his  head.  He  still  held  his  shotgun  so  as  to 
cover  the  two  boys. 

"I  don't  know  a  thing  about  your  cows,  and  I 
certainly  haven't  shot  at  them,"  answered  Jack, 
indignantly. 

265 


266         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"We  haven't  been  anywhere  near  your  cow  pas- 
ture, or  your  cowshed,  either,"  said  Fred. 
"We've  been  hunting  up  in  the  woods  yonder; 
Your  man  saw  us." 

"We  got  lost  up  there  after  it  began  to  snow, 
and  we  had  to  camp  out  all  night,"  explained 
Jack.  "We  just  found  that  road  and  were  try- 
ing to  get  back  to  Haven  Point  and  Colby  Hall." 

"It  ain't  so !  It  ain't  so !"  snarled  Elias  Lacy. 
"You  come  over  to  my  cow  paster  yesterday  af- 
ternoon an'  shot  both  o'  them  cows  and  then  you 
run  away.  One  o'  my  men  seen  you." 

"He  never  did !"  burst  out  Jack.  "I  tell  you  we 
weren't  near  your  place." 

"We  went  out  hunting  with  a  number  of  other 
cadets,  and  we  can  prove  it!"  added  his  cousin. 

"Huh!  where  are  them  other  cadets  now?" 
demanded  the  old  farmer. 

"We  got  separated  in  the  woods — they  going 
off  for  some  rabbits  in  one  direction  and  we  go- 
ing off  after  some  other  rabbits  in  another  direc- 
tion," explained  the  oldest  Rover  boy.  "I  don't 
know  where  those  other  cadets  are  now.  Prob- 
ably they  went  back  to  the  school." 

"You  ain't  got  no  right  to  hunt  on  my 
grounds." 

"We  were  out  in  the  open  woods,  Mr,  Lacy* 
where  we  had  a  perfect  right  to  be." 


ELIAS  LACY'S  DEMAND  267 

"Well,  we  won't  talk  about  that  now,"  snarled 
the  old  man.  "I'm  a-goin'  to  fix  you  for  shootin' 
them  cows.  They  was  two  of  the  best  cows  I 
had,  an'  they  was  wuth  a  lot  o'  money." 

A  wordy  war  followed,  during  which  the  boys 
became  almost  as  angry  as  the  old  farmer.  They 
insisted  upon  it  that  they  had  not  been  near  his 
farm  during  the  afternoon  of  the  day  before,  but 
he  did  not  believe  a  word  they  said. 

"I'm  a-goin'  to  have  the  law  on  you !"  he  cried. 
"I'm  a-goin'  to  have  you  arrested!  An'  1'H 
make  your  folks  pay  fur  them  cows !" 

"Hadn't  we  better  march  'em  down  to  the 
barn?"  suggested  the  hired  man.  "Then  I  kin 
hitch  up  the  horses  and  we  kin  take  'em  down  to 
the,  town  lock-up." 

"Oh,  Jack,  don't  let  them  lock  us  up!"  whis- 
pered Fred,  in  horror. 

"If  you  lock  us  up,  Mr.  Lacy,  you'll  suffer  for 
it,"  said  Jack.  "I'll  get  my  father  to  sue  you  for 
damages." 

"Don't  you  talk  to  me  like  that,  you  young 
whipper-snapper!"  cried  the  old  man.  "I  know 
what  I'm  a-doin'.  I'm  a-goin'  to  turn  you  over 
to  the  town  authorities,  an'  that's  all  there  is  to 
it!" 

The  old  man  was  obdurate,  and  he  and  the 
hired  man  forced  the  boys  into  the  barn,  where 


268        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

the  farmer  stood  guard  with  the  shotgun  while 
the  hired  man  hooked  up  a  team  of  horses  to  one 
of  the  farm  wagons.  Then  the  lads  were  told  to 
get  into  the  turnout. 

"I  don't  think  I'll  get  in,"  said  Jack. 

"Yes,  you  will !"  snarled  Elias  Lacy ;  and  then 
followed  a  lively  scuffle.  But  the  two  boys  were 
no  match  for  the  men,  and  they  were  quickly  dis- 
armed. Then,  being  covered  by  the  hired  man's 
shotgun,  they  had  to  get  up  into  the  wagon.  The 
hired  man  drove,  while  Elias  Lacy  sat  in  the  rear, 
the  shotgun  ready  for  action  so  that  the  boys 
might  not  escape.  Their  own  guns,  along  with 
their  game,  were  placed  on  the  bottom  of  the 
wagon  under  a  blanket. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  Jack  and  Fred  were 
in  no  enviable  frame  of  mind  as  the  wagon  with 
the  two  prisoners  aboard  headed  in  the  direction 
of  Haven  Point.  They  knew  that  news  of  their 
arrest  would  spread  rapidly,  and  they  wondered 
what  their  friends,  and  especially  the  girls  at 
Clearwater  Hall,  would  think  of  it. 

"Gee,  but  we're  in  a  pickle !"  commented  FredP 
dismally. 

"Yes.  And  the  worst  of  it  is,  I  don't  know 
how  we  are  going  to  clear  ourselves,"  answered 
his  cousin.  "As  near  as  I  can  learn,  those  cows 
were  shot  while  you  and  I  were  off  by  ourselves 


ELIAS  LACY'S  DEMAND  269 

in  the  woods.  The  hired  man  says  the  other  man 
who  works  on  the  place  saw  two  cadets  disappear- 
ing between  the  trees." 

"Who  can  those  fellows  be,  Jack?" 

"Don't  ask  me!  Probably  two  of  our  fellows 
who  have  some  grudge  against  Lacy." 

This  talk  was  carried  on  in  an  undertone,  so 
that  neither  the  old  farmer  nor  his  hired  man 
could  understand  what  was  said. 

"You  needn't  plan  no  trick  to  escape,"  warned 
Elias  Lacy,  raising  his  shotgun  slightly. 

"Mr.  Lacy,  what  did  you  do  with  the  two  cows 
that  were  shot?"  asked  Jack,  suddenly. 

"I  left  'em  out  in  the  paster,  right  where  they 
fell,"  returned  the  old  farmer.  "I  ain't  a-goin'  to 
tech  'em  till  the  authorities  have  looked  'em  over." 

"Were  they  killed  with  bird  shot  or  with  rifle 
bullets?" 

"Bird  shot — same  as  you've  been  a-usin*  in 
them  shotguns  of  yourn." 

A  portion  of  the  roadway  leading  into  Haven 
Point  was  being  repaired  and  was  closed  off ;  so, 
in  order  to  get  down  into  the  town,  they  had  to 
make  something  of  a  detour  in  the  direction  of 
Colby  Hall. 

"Oh,  Jack,  hadn't  we  better  ask  him  to  take  us 
to  the  Hall  first?"  whispered  Fred  to  his  cousin. 
"Maybe  Colonel  Colby  can  fix  this  up  for  us." 


270         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"I  might  ask  him,"  returned  Jack,,  in  a  low 
tone. 

"I  ain't  a-goin'  to  Colby  Hall,"  snarled  Elias 
Lacy,  after  the  question  had  been  put  to  him. 
"I'm  a-goin'  to  take  you  to  the  lock-up." 

The  journey  towards  the  town  was  continued, 
and  presently  those  in  the  wagon  came  within 
sight  of  a  rural  free  delivery  turnout. 

"Hello  there,  Pete!  Got  any  letters  for  us?" 
sang  out  the  farm  hand. 

"One  fur  Mr.  Lacy,"  replied  the  post  carrier, 
and,  driving  closer,  he  handed  it  over. 

"I  ain't  got  no  time  to  read  letters  now,"  an- 
nounced Elias  Lacy,  as  he  thrust  the  communica- 
tion into  his  pocket.  "I've  got  other  business  to 
'tend  to." 

"Givin'  a  couple  of  the  Colby  cadets  a  ride, 
eh  ?"  ventured  the  carrier. 

"I'm  a-takin'  'em  to  the  lock-up,  Pete.  They 
went  an'  shot  two  o'  my  cows." 

"You  don't  say,  'Lias!"  cried  the  carrier  in 
amazement.  "Out  huntin'  I  s'pose,  and  mistook 
'em  for  deer  or  bears,"  and  he  chuckled  over  his 
little  joke. 

"No;  they  done  it  a-purpose,"  growled  the 
farmer.  "They  held  a  grudge  agin  me,  an'  they 
thought  they  was  a-goin'  to  git  square.  But  I'll 
show  'em,  an'  don't  you  forgit  it!" 


ELIAS  LACY'S  DEMAND  271 

"We  didn't  shoot  his  cows!"  came  simultan- 
eously from  Jack  and  Fred. 

"Bad  business!  But  I've  got  to  be  on  my 
way,"  commented  the  carrier.  "That  road  bein' 
closed  puts  me  away  off  my  regular  route ;"  and 
off  he  drove. 

Three  quarters  of  the  distance  to  Haven  Point 
had  been  covered  when  those  in  the  wagon  heard 
a  shout,  and  a  moment  later  Captain  Dale  came 
galloping  up  on  horseback. 

"Where  in  the  world  have  you  two  cadets 
been  ?"  he  cried.  "We  have  been  looking  all  over 
for  you." 

"We  got  lost  in  the  woods  and  had  to  camp 
out  all  night,"  explained  Jack,  and  then  added : 
"Did  the  others  get  back  ?" 

"Oh,  yes.  And  they  fully  expected  that  you 
would  follow  them."  And  then,  seeing  a  peculiar 
look  on  the  boys'  faces,  the  military  instructor  of 
Colby  Hall  continued  :  "Nothing  wrong,  I  hope?" 

"Yes,  there  is — a  whole  lot  wrong!"  cried  Elias 
Lacy,  before  the  cadets  could  answer.  "They 
sneaked  up  to  my  farm  an'  shot  two  o'  my  cows." 

"Impossible!"  exclaimed  the  military  man. 

"No,  it  ain't !  It's  so !"  shrilled  the  old  farmer. 
"They  killed  the  cows,  an'  I'm  on  my  way  to  put 
"em  in  the  Haven  Point  lock-up." 

"Oh,  Captain  Dale,  don't  let  him  have  us  ar- 


272        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

rested!"  pleaded  Fred.  "We  do  not  know  any« 
thing  about  his  cows,  and  we  certainly  did  not 
shoot  them." 

"Tell  me  all  about  this,"  demanded  Captain 
Dale.  And  in  a  highly  excited  fashion,  Elias 
Lacy  told  his  story,  which  was  corroborated  by 
his  hired  man. 

"Now  I'll  hear  what  you  have  to  say,"  said 
the  captain,  turning  to  Jack  and  Fred. 

They  gave  him  the  particulars  of  what  had 
happened,  just  as  they  had  already  related  them 
to  the  old  farmer.  Then  Captain  Dale  asked 
them  a  number  of  questions.  Elias  Lacy  inter- 
rupted continually. 

"I  ain't  a-goin'  to  stand  no  nonsense,"  said  th& 
old  man  doggedly.  "I'm  a-goin'  to  put  'em  in  the 
lock-up,  an'  do  it  right  now !" 

"Mr.  Lacy,  allow  me  to  tell  you  something," 
said  the  military  instructor  coolly.  "If  these  boys 
are  guilty  you  will  be  justified  in  having  them 
placed  under  arrest.  But  if  they  are  not  guilty — 
and  they  claim  they  are  innocent — you'll  make 
yourself  liable  for  a  big  suit  for  damages." 

"I  don't  care!    I  know  they  shot  them  cows!" 

"No,  you  don't  know  it.  You  admit  that  the 
farm  hand  who  saw  the  two  cadets  did  not  recog- 
nize them.  In  fact,  he  wasn't  altogether  sure 
that^they  were  cadets.  Now,  these  boys  claim 


ELIAS  LACY'S  DEMAND  273 

they  were  nowhere  near  your  pasture  lot  when  the 
cows  were  shot.  I  think  the  best  thing  you  can 
do  is  to  let  them  return  to  the  Hall  with  me.  Col- 
onel Colby  is  away  to-day,  but  I  will  take  the 
matter  up  with  him  just  as  soon  as  he  returns." 

"Mebbe  if  I  let  'em  go  to  the  Hall,  they'll  run 
away,"  answered  Elias  Lacy.  The  mention  of  a 
possible  lawsuit  for  damages  had  taken  some  of 
the  aggressiveness  out  of  him. 

"I  will  see  to  it  that  they  do  not  run  away," 
answered  Captain  Dale.  "We  have  a  guardroom 
at  the  Hall — a  sort  of  lock-up;  and  if  it  is  neces- 
sary I  will  have  them  placed  there  until  Colonel 
Colby  can  investigate,  and  until  you  can  make  up 
your  mind  what  you  want  to  do." 

The  old  farmer  argued  the  matter  for  several 
minutes,  but  in  the  end  agreed  to  let  the  military 
instructor  take  charge  of  Jack  and  Fred. 

"But  remember,"  he  said  in  parting,  "you've 
got  to  keep  'em  under  lock  an'  key  till  I  see  Col- 
onel Colby.  I'm  a-goin'  to  make  an  investigation, 
an'  I'm  purty  sure  I'll  be  able  to  prove  that  they 
killed  them  cows." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

IN   THE   GUARDROOM 

"WHAT  in  the  world  do  you  suppose  has  be- 
come of  them,  Randy?" 

"I  give  it  up !  I  hope  they  only  lost  their  way 
and  didn't  have  some  kind  of  an  accident." 

"Oh,  don't  speak  of  an  accident!"  cried  Andy 
in  horror.  "It  makes  rne  shiver  to  think  of  it." 

"I  can't  understand  why  they  didn't  rejoin  us 
as  they  promised  to  do,"  said  Frank  Newberry, 
who  was  present.  "We  looked  all  over  for  them, 
and  fired  one  or  two  shots  to  attract  their  atten- 
tion, but  it  was  all  useless." 

The  twins  had  passed  a  restless  night  follow- 
ing the  continued  absence  from  the  school  of 
their  cousins.  Early  in  the  morning  they  had  gone 
out  in  company  with  Gif  and  Spouter,  and  cov- 
ered many  miles  in  a  vain  search  for  the  absent 
ones.  They  could  not  settle  down  to  their  class 
work,  and  so  were  excused  by  Professor  Brice. 

"Well,  I've  got  to  be  getting  back  to  the  class- 
room," remarked  Frank  Newberry,  presently,  and 
274 


IN  THE  GUARDROOM  275 

he  and  several  others  who  were  present  hurried 
away,  leaving  the  twins  to  themselves. 

The  boys  walked  down  the  roadway  which 
had  been  followed  by  the  hunters  the  day  before. 
They  had  covered  only  a  short  distance  when  they 
saw  a  farm  wagon  approaching,  with  Captain 
Dale  beside  it  on  his  horse. 

"There  they  are!"  cried  Andy,  and  an  instant 
later  added  in  amazement :  "Old  Lacy  and  one  of 
his  men  are  with  them !" 

"Yes.  And  I  bet  that  spells  trouble  for  Jack 
and  Fred,"  announced  his  brother. 

The  old  farmer  would  not  stop  tor  the  boys 
on  the  roadside,  but  drove  directly  to  the  Colby 
Hall  entrance. 

"Why!  what's  the  matter?"  exclaimed  Randy 
to  the  military  instructor. 

"A  little  trouble,  boys,"  was  Captain  Dale's 
answer.  "You'll  hear  about  it  later."  And  then 
he  went  after  the  wagon,  and  the  boys  took  to 
their  heels  and  followed. 

"Now  then,  you  do  what  you  promised!" 
snapped  Elias  Lacy,  after  Jack  and  Fred  had 
'jumped  from  the  wagon.  "Don't  let  'em  run 
away,  nohow!" 

"You  can  rest  assured  that  I  will  take  care  of 
them,  Mr.  Lacy,"  answered  the  captain  coldly. 

"When  do  you  expect  Colonel  Colby  back?" 


276         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Some  time  this  afternoon." 

"Then  I  guess  I'll  be  back  by  that  time  to  see 
him.  An'  I  guess  I'll  be  able  to  prove  them  boys 
is  guilty,  too." 

"Why,  Jack!  what  is  it  all  about?"  demanded 
Randy,  while  his  twin  looked  on  questioningly. 
The  boys'  shotguns  and  game  had  been  taken 
from  the  farm  wagon,  and  now  the  pair  from 
the  Lacy  farm  drove  away. 

"You've  got  to  search  me!"  declared  Jack. 
"Old  Lacy  accuses  Fred  and  me  of  shooting  two 
of  his  cows." 

"You  didn't  do  it,  though,  did  you?"  queried 
Andy. 

"Certainly  not !"  burst  out  Fred.  "All  we  know 
about  it  is  what  he  has  told  us.  We  weren't  even 
near  the  pasture  where  the  cows  were  kept." 

As  well  as  they  were  able,  Jack  and  Fred  ex« 
plained  the  situation  to  their  cousins  and  also 
answered  a  number  of  questions  put  to  them  by 
Captain  Dale.  The  military  instructor  was  much 
puzzled  over  the  situation,  and  hardly  knew  what 
to  do. 

"You  heard  what  I  promised  Mr.  Lacy,"  he 
said  finally.  "I'll  have  to  place  you  in  the  guard- 
room until  Colonel  Colby  gets  back.  But  I  imag- 
ine you  would  rather  be  kept  there  than  let  Mr. 
Lacy  take  you  down  to  the  town  lock-up." 


IN  THE  GUARDROOM  277 

"It  isn't  fair  to  lock  us  up  at  all,"  grumbled 
Fred.  "We  have  done  no  wrong.  Of  course  we 
stayed  away  from  the  Hall  over  night,  but  that 
couldn't  be  helped.  It  was  no  fun  staying  out- 
doors on  such  a  cold  night  without  shelter." 

"Can't  you  parole  us,  Captain?"  queried  Jack. 

"No.  I  gave  Mr.  Lacy  my  word  that  I  would 
lock  you  up,  and  I'll  have  to  do  it.  I'll  see  to  it, 
however,  that  you  suffer  no  discomforts  while 
you  are  in  the  guardroom." 

After  this  there  seemed  no  help  for  it,  and, 
turning  their  guns  and  game  over  to  the  twins, 
Jack  and  Fred  followed  Captain  Dale-through  one 
of  the  lower  corridors  and  then  into  a  wing  of 
the  building.  Here  there  was  a  room  about 
twelve  feet  square,  the  one  window  of  which  was 
barred,  and  this  was  known  officially  as  the  school 
guardroom,  or  prison. 

"You  may  wash  up  if  you  care  to  do  so,  and 
I  will  send  you  some  breakfast,"  announced 
Captain  Dale,  and  then  left  them  in  the  room, 
locking  the  door  behind  him. 

The  apartment  was  but  scantily  furnished, 
containing  an  iron  cot,  a  couple  of  stools, 
a  table,  and,  in  one  corner,  a  wash  bowl  with 
running  water.  There  was  a  small  steam  radia- 
tor in  the  room,  and  this  the  boys  lost  no  time  in 
turning  on,  for  the  air  was  damp  and  cold. 


278         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"This  is  a  fine  prospect,  truly,"  remarked 
Fred,  as  he  sank  down  on  one  of  the  stools.  "I 
wonder  how  long  we'll  have  to  stay  in  this  hole." 

"That  remains  to  be  seen,  Fred.  I  wish  Col- 
onel Colby  were  here.  I  think  he  would  give  us 
some  good  advice — being  such  an  old  friend  of 
our  fathers." 

"Gee !  I'd  hate  to  have  him  send  a  letter  home 
telling  the  folks  that  we  were  guilty  of  shooting 
a  farmer's  cows." 

"So  would  I.  I  don't  see  how  we  are  going 
to  clear  ourselves.  You  can  bet  Lacy  will  make 
out  the  blackest  possible  case  against  us." 

After  their  outing  in  the  woods  the  boys  were 
glad  enough  to  wash  themselves.  They  had 
hardly  finished  when  one  of  the  waiters  of  the 
Hall  came  in  with  a  large  tray  filled  with  an 
appetizing  breakfast. 

"This  isn't  so  bad,"  declared  Jack,  when  they 
had  been  left  once  more  alone.  The  boys  ate 
heartily,  yet  they  were  so  much  troubled  that  it 
is  not  likely  the  food  did  them  any  good. 

The  report  soon  circulated  throughout  Colby 
Hall  that  Jack  and  Fred  had  been  placed  under 
arrest,  and  many  of  the  cadets  wanted  to  know 
what  it  meant. 

"They've  been  arrested  for  shooting  two  of 
old  Lacy's  cows!"  said  Codfish,  who  had  heard 


IN   THE  GUARDROOM  279 

the  news  and  had  started  to  circulate  it  as  quickly 
as  possible.  "They  say  old  Lacy  is  going  to  send 
them  to  state's  prison  for  it." 

"Spikeless  mosquitoes !"  cried  Fatty.  "Do  you 
think  they  really  went  over  there  and  shot  the 
cows  ?" 

"I  don't  know,  I'm  sure,"  answered  Walt  Bax- 
ter, who  was  present.  "I  know  they  didn't  bear 
old  Lacy  much  good-will.  They  felt  rather  raw 
over  the  way  the  old  man  held  'em  up  with  his 
shotgun  when  they  were  having  their  Hallowe'en 
fun." 

"Yes.  And  they  were  down  on  Lacy  because 
he  once  took  away  some  chestnuts  they  had  gath- 
ered from  one  of  his  trees,"  put  in  another  cadet. 

"Shooting  cows  is  rather  a  serious  business," 
was  Bart  White's  comment. 

This  talk  took  place  on  the  campus.  Down  in 
the.gynmasium  another  group  of  cadets  had  gath- 
ered, including  Nappy  Martell  and  Slugger 
Brown. 

"Locked  up  for  killing  old  Lacy's  cows,  eh?" 
cried  Martell,  with  a  satisfied  grin  on  his  face. 
"They'll  catch  it  for  that,  all  right  enough !" 

"I  don't  see  why  Colonel  Colby  don't  fire  'em 
out  of  the  school  for  it,"  said  Slugger  Brown. 

"Maybe  he  will  dismiss  'em  if  he  finds  out 
the  report  is  true,"  ventured  another  cadet. 


280         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Of  course  the  report  is  true !"  put  in  Codfish, 
who  had  come  up.  "Didn't  one  of  the  hired  men 
see  'em  do  it  ?" 

"Is  that  so,  Codfish?" 

"So  they  say." 

"Oh,  it  would  be  just  like  those  Rovers  to  do 
something  like  that,"  came  from  Nappy  Martell. 
"They  are  that  kind  of  fellows." 

"I  always  thought  they  were  pretty  good 
chaps,"  was  the  comment  of  another  cadet. 

"Good  chaps !"  sneered  Slugger  Brown.  "That 
shows  you  don't  know  'em  as  well  as  we  do. 
They  are  sneaks — all  of  'em — and  wouldn't  hesi- 
tate a  minute  to  do  anything  underhanded.  I 
hope  Colonel  Colby  gets  after  them  and  fires  'em 
out ;"  and  then,  with  a  knowing  look  at  Martell, 
Slugger  passed  on,  and  presently  his  crony  fol- 
lowed him. 

A  good  deal  of  this  talk  drifted  to  the  ears  of 
the  Rover  twins  and  hurt  them  not  a  little.  But 
they  were  in  no  position  to  combat  what  was  said. 

"Of  course  we  know  Jack  and  Fred  are  inno- 
cent," remarked  Randy  to  his  brother.  "But  in 
a  court  of  law  it  is  one  thing  to  know  it  and  quite 
another  thing  to  prove  it." 

"Yet  I've  always  heard  it  said  that  a  man  was 
innocent  until  he  was  proved  guilty,"  asserted 


IN  THE  GUARDROOM  281 

"Very  true.  Just  the  same,  many  a  man  has 
been  convicted  on  what  they  call  circumstantial 
evidence;  and  evidently  the  circumstantial  evi- 
dence against  Jack  and  Fred  is  pretty  strong." 

In  the  guardroom  the  time  for  Jack  and  Fred 
passed  slowly.  They  discussed  the  situation  from 
every  possible  point  of  view,  but  without  arriv- 
ing at  any  satisfactory  conclusion. 

"Even  if  they  don't  send  us  to  prison  for  the 
crime,  they  may  make  our  fathers'  pay  for  the 
cows,"  said  Jack. 

"Yes.  And  Colonel  Colby  may  send  us  home," 
added  Fred,  dismally.  "Oh,  dear!  wouldn't  that 
be  the  worst  ever  ?"  and  he  sank  down  on  the  cot 
and  covered  his  face  with  his  hands. 

It  was  Martell  and  Brown,  aided  by  Codfish, 
who  saw  to  it  that  the  report  of  Jack  and  Fred's 
arrest  was  carried  to  Clearwater  Hall.  This 
brought  consternation  to  the  girls,  particularly 
to  Ruth  and  May. 

"I  won't  believe  it !"  declared  Ruth.  "I  don't 
believe  Jack  and  Fred  would  be  so  mean." 

"I  don't  believe  it  either!"  cried  Spouter's 
cousin.  "Somebody  else  must  have  done  it !" 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  Colonel  Colby 
returned  to  the  Hall  and  was  at  once  acquainted 
with  the  affair  by  Captain  Dale.  The  colonel  was 
on  the  point  of  questioning  the  two  prisoners 


282         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

when  a  servant  came  in,  announcing  the  arrival 
of  Elias  Lacy.  The  farmer  was  as  wildly  ex- 
cited as  he  had  been  in  the  morning. 

"I  knowed  I  was  right!"  he  cried,  flourishing 
a  letter  in  the  colonel's  face.  "Here's  something 
I  got  to  prove  it!  It  come  by  mail  this  mornin' 
when  I  was  bringin'  them  young  whelps  over 
here.  I  put  the  letter  in  my  pocket,  an'  I  forgot 
all  about  it  until  an  hour  ago.  Jest  read  that, 
will  you?"  and  he  thrust  the  communication  into 
Colonel  Colby's  hand. 

The  letter  was  postmarked  at  Beach  Haven, 
and  had  been  mailed  the  evening  previous.  It 
was  written  in  a  slanting  backhand,  evidently 
disguised,  and  ran  as  follows: 

"Dear  Mr.  Lacy : 

"Your  two  cows  were  shot  by  Jack  Rover  and 
Fred  Rover.  They  were  out  in  the  woods  hunt- 
ing when  we  saw  them  go  towards  your  pasture 
lot.  We  thought  they  were  up  to  some  trick,  so 
watched  them.  They  drove  the  two  cows  from 
the  rest  of  the  herd,  and  then  Jack  Rover  gave 
one  cow  two  shots  and  Fred  Rover  gave  the  other 
cow  two  shots.  Then  they  ran  back,  into  the 
woods  as  tight  as  they  could  go.  They  didn't  join 
the  other  hunters  they  had  gone  out  with,  most 
likely  because  they  were  afraid. 


IN  THE  GUARDROOM  28$ 

"You  had  better  go  to  Colby  Hall  and  have 
them  arrested  before  they  run  away. 

"Yours  truly, 

"Three  boys  who  know,  but  who 
do  not  dare  to  give  you  their 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE   EXPOSURE 

"THERE!  what  do  you  think  of  that  letter ?" 
demanded  Elias  Lacy,  after  Colonel  Colby  had 
read  the  communication. 

"I  don't  know  what  to  think  of  it,  Mr.  Lacy," 
was  the  slow  reply.  "I  have  not  yet  had  an  op- 
portunity to  interview  the  two  Rovers.  If  you 
will  sit  down  here  in  my  office,  I'll  talk  to  them 
and  try  to  settle  this  matter  with  you." 

"Don't  you  want  me  to  go  with  you?"  ques- 
tioned the  old  farmer  quickly. 

"No.     I  prefer  to  interview  them  alone." 

"All  right  then,  I'll  stay  here.  But  don't  be 
too  long,  'cause  I  want  to  drive  down  to  the  town 
an'  git  Bill  Pixley,  the  chief  o'  police,  or  one  of 
his  men." 

"I  don't  think  you'll  need  any  police,  Mr.  Lacy. 
I  think  we'll  be  able  to  fix  this  matter  up  to  your 
entire  satisfaction,"  answered  Colonel  Colby; 
and  then  left  the  office  and  made  his  way  along  the 
corridors  to  the  guardroom. 
284 


THE  EXPOSURE  285 

His  coming  was  a  great  relief  to  Jack  and 
Fred,  for  they  felt  that  in  Colonel  Colby  they 
had  a  real  friend.  Yet  they  were  much  troubled, 
for  they  realized  that  the  case  looked  black 
against  them. 

"Now  tell  me  everything  you  know.  Don't 
hold  back  a  single  item,"  said  the  colonel,  as  he 
seated  himself  on  one  of  the  stools. 

Thereupon  both  cadets  related  their  story  in 
detail — how  they  had  gone  out  with  Frank  New- 
berry  and  the  others,  how  the  two  parties  had 
become  separated,  and  how  they  had  lost  their 
way,  camped  out  over  night,  and  finally  found  the 
woods  road  leading  down  to  the  Lacy  farm,  and 
then  how  Elias  Lacy  and  his  hired  man  had  held 
them  up  and  threatened  them  with  arrest. 

"And  you  do  not  know  a  single  thing  about  the 
shooting  of  the  cows?"  questioned  the  colonel, 
eyeing  them  sternly. 

"Not  a  thing,  sir,"  responded  Jack,  promptly. 

"We  don't  know  anything  more  about  those 
cows  than  you  do,  sir,"  added  Fred,  vehemently. 
"We  weren't  anywhere  near  his  place  when  they 
were  shot." 

"Then  what  do  you  two  say  to  this  letter?" 
continued  the  master  of  Colby  Hall,  and  presented 
the  communication  to  them. 

Jack  read  the  letter  with  Fred  looking  over  hi* 


286        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

shoulder.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  Fred  gave  a  cry 
of  amazement. 

"I  think  I  know  who  wrote  that  letter!"  he 
exclaimed. 

"You  do!"  returned  Colonel  Colby  and  Jack, 
simultaneously. 

"I  think  so;  although,  of  course,  I  am  not 
sure."  Fred  looked  at  his  cousin.  "It  would  be 
just  like  him  to  do  it." 

"Who  are  you  talking  about,  Fred?" 

"I'm  talking  about  Slugger  Brown." 

"Slugger  Brown!" 

"Do  you  mean  Slogwell  Brown?"  queried  the 
master  of  the  school. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  what  makes  you  think  Brown  wrote  that 
communication  ?"  demanded  Colonel  Colby.  And 
now,  somewhat  to  their  wonder,  the  Rovers  real- 
ized that  the  colonel  seemed  to  be  unusually  in- 
terested. 

"Because  I  once  saw  Brown  writing  in  back- 
hand fashion  on  the  blackboard  in  the  gymna- 
sium," explained  Fred.  "He  wrote  a  hand  al- 
most identical  with  that.  I  noticed  it  particu- 
larly, because  he  was  amusing  himself  by  writing 
one  line  slanting*  backward  and  the  next  '-ine 
slanting  forward." 

"Did  he  know  you  were  watching  him?" 


THE  EXPOSURE  287 

"Oh,  no!  I  didn't  stay  there  long  enough  for 
that.  lie  was  all  alone,  and  as  I  didn't  care  to 
speak  to  him,  I  passed  out  without  his  noticing 
it." 

"How  long  ago  was  this  ?" 

"Only  about  a  week  ago." 

"Hum!"  The  colonel  mused  for  a  moment, 
knitting  his  brows  closely  as  he  did  so.  "That  is 
worth  investigating."  He  thought  for  another 
moment.  "You  have  nothing  more  to  add  to 
your  story?" 

"No,  sir,"  answered  Fred. 

"I  think  we've  told  you  everything,  Colonel 
Colby,"  returned  Jack.  "We  are  innocent,  and  I 
trust  you  will  do  all  you  can  to  help  us  prove  it." 

"I  shall  do  what  is  absolutely  fair  in  the  mat- 
ter," answered  Colonel  Colby;  and  then  left  the 
two  boys  once  more  to  themselves. 

Andy  and  Randy  had  begged  for  permission  to 
talk  things  over  with  their  cousins,  and  they  came 
in  to  see  Jack  and  Fred  almost  immediately  after 
Colonel  Colby  left. 

"If  Slugger  Brown  wrote  that  letter,  maybe 
he  and  Nappy  Martell  did  the  shooting,"  re- 
marked Randy. 

"They  would  be  just  mean  enough  to  do  it," 
added  his  twin.  "They'd  do  anything  to  get  our 
crowd  into  trouble." 


288-       THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Why  can't  you  two  fellows  watch  Brown  and 
Martell?"  questioned  Jack.  "You  might  tell  Gif 
and  Spouter  and  Ned  about  it,  too.  Find  out 
where  those  two  fellows  were  yesterday  after- 
noon, and  find  out  if  they  used  any  of  the  shot- 
guns." 

"Say !  that's  an  idea !"  cried  Randy,  enthusias- 
tically. "I'll  go  at  it  right  away!" 

"And  so  will  I !"  declared  his  brother.  "Maybe 
we'll  be  able  to  lay  the  whole  blame  on  that 
pair." 

The  twins  talked  it  over  with  the  others  for 
a  little  while  longer,  and  then  were  let  out  of  the 
guardroom  by  a  servant,  who  locked  the  d®or 
after  them.  As  they  came  out  into  the  main  cor- 
ridor of  the  Hall,  they  saw  that  Elias  Lacy  was 
just  leaving  Colonel  Colby's  office. 

"All  right,  then,  I'll  wait,"  the  old  farmer  was 
saying.  "But  I'll  be  back  by  to-morrow  after- 
noon, an*  if  you  can't  prove  by  that  time  that  them 
Rover  boys  is  innercent,  I'm  a-goin'  to  have  'em 
locked  up." 

"Very  well,  Mr.  Lacy,"  the  colonel  replied,  and 
bowed  his  visitor  out  of  the  door. 

"Well,  anyway,  the  colonel  has  got  old  Lacy  to 
wait  another  day,"  whispered  Randy.  "That  will 
give  us  just  so  much  more  time  to  get  on  the  track 
of  what  Martell  and  Brown  have  been  doing." 


THE  EXPOSURE  289 

"All  provided  they  are  really  guilty  of  playing 
this  dirty  trick,"  answered  his  brother. 

In  the  tipper  hallway  the  twins  ran  across  Ned 
Lowe,  and  immediately  took  that  cadet  into  their 
confidence,  and  asked  him  if  'he  would  not  try  to 
find  out  for  them  where  Brown  and  Martell  had 
been  the  previous  afternoon. 

"For,  you  see,  we  can't  ask  them  ourselves," 
explained  Randy.  "If  we  did  that  they  would 
become  suspicious  at  once." 

"All  right,  I'll  do  what  I  can,"  answered  Ned, 
and  made  off  without  delay.  He  came  back  in 
less  than  fifteen  minutes,  looking  much  excited. 

"How  did  you  make  out?"  queried  Randy, 
eagerly. 

"Great!  I  want  you  two  fellows  to  come  up- 
stairs at  once  while  Brown  and  Martell  are  out 
of  their  rooms.  And  I  think  you  had  better  bring 
along  one  of  the  teachers  as  a  witness." 

"Why,  what  have  you  learned,  Ned?"  qfues- 
tioned  Andy. 

"I  saw  them  down  near  the  gymnasium,  and 
sneaked  up  behind  them,  and  by  rare  good  luck 
heard  them  talking  about  two  shotguns  that  be- 
longed in  the  gun  rack.  They  were  wondering 
how  they  could  get  them  from  their  rooms  back 
into  the  gun  rack  without  detection." 

"Hurrah!     I  wager  we  have   found  'em  out!" 


290        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

ejaculated  Randy,  excitedly.  "Come  on !  let's  get 
one  of  the  teachers  at  once !" 

The  boys  were  fortunate  enough  to  fall  in  with 
Professor  Brice  a  minute  later,  and  in  a  rather 
excited  fashion  they  told  the  teacher  of  what  they 
had  learned  and  what  they  proposed  to  do. 

"Why,  certainly,  I'll  go  with  you,*  said  Paul 
Brice,  quickly.  "I  want  just  as  much  as  anybody 
to  get  at  the  bottom  of  this  affair." 

Accompanied  by  the  professor,  the  three  cadets 
hurried  to  the  second  floor  of  the  Hall  and  then 
to  the  rooms  occupied  by  Slugger  Brown  and 
Nappy  Martell.  The  door  to  each  was  locked, 
but  one  of  them  was  opened  for  the  crowd  by  an 
assistant  janitor.  A  hasty  search  revealed  noth- 
ing in  the  shape  of  a  firearm  in  either  room,  and 
the  Rover  boys  were  much  disappointed.  But 
then  Randy  thought  of  the  bed,  and  quickly 
raised  the  mattress.  On  the  springs  rested  a 
shotgun. 

"And  I'll  bet  the  other  shotgun  is  in  the  other 
bed !"  cried  Andy,  and  he  and  the  professor  made 
an  investigation.  The  fun-loving  Rover's  sur- 
mise was  correct. 

"These  are  guns  belonging  to  the  Hall,  too!" 
cried  Ned,  pointing  out  the  mark  of  the  school 
on  the  stocks.  "They  must  belong  down  in  the 
gun  rack,  just  as  Slugger  and  Martell  said." 


THE  EXPOSURE  291 

"Bring  those  guns  along,  boys,  and  we'll  go 
directly  to  Colonel  Colby's  office,"  said  Profes- 
sor Brice ;  and  the  cadets  lost  no  time  in  doing  as 
he  directed. 

They  found  the  master  of  the  school  seated  at 
his  desk,  looking  over  a  mass  of  papers.  He 
gazed  in  wonder  at  the  three  lads  and  Professor 
Brice. 

"We  found  the  shotguns  that  were  used  on 
those  cows !"  cried  Randy,  his  eyes  sparkling. 

"And  do  you  know  where  we  found  'em?  In 
the  beds  that  Slugger  Brown  and  Nappy  Martell 
use!"  broke  in  Andy. 

"What's  this?"  And  now  the  colonel  was 
really  startled. 

"You  had  better  let  the  boys  tell  the  beginning 
of  the  story,  and  I  will  tell  the  end,"  said  Pro- 
fessor Brice. 

Thereupon,  the  two  Rovers  repeated  the  talk 
that  had  taken  place  in  the  guardroom,  and  then 
told  how  they  had  gotten  Ned  to  spy  on  Brown 
and  Martell.  Then  Ned  told  of  what  he  had 
heard,  and  of  how  the  three  had  called  on  Profes- 
sor Brice  for  assistance.  After  that  the  teacher 
took  up  the  narrative,  ending  with  the  finding 
of  the  shotguns  in  the  beds. 

"It  looks  like  a  pretty  clear  case  against  Brown 
and  Martell,"  remarked  the  colonel  slowly. 


292         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"However,  I  shall  have  to  make  a  further  investi- 
gation. I  will  send  for  Brown  and  Martell  at 
once." 

The  colonel  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  inside 
of  five  minutes  Slugger  and  Nappy  came  into 
the  office  together.  They  looked  much  disturbed, 
and  this  look  increased  when  they  saw  Andy  and 
Randy. 

"Brown  and  Martell,  I  have  sent  for  you  to 
answer  a  few  questions,"  began  Colonel  Colby, 
sternly,  as  the  two  cadets  faced  him.  "I  want 
you  to  answer  me  directly  and  truthfully.  What 
was  your  object  in  taking  two  of  our  shotguns 
from  the  gun  rack  and  going  over  to  Mr.  Lacy's 
farm  and  shooting  down  two  of  his  cows?" 

"Wh — wh — why,  wh — wh — what  do  you 
mean?"  faltered  Brown. 

"We  didn't — er — shoot — &r — any  cows,"  stam- 
mered Martell. 

Both  boys  were  thrown  into  utter  confusion, 
and  showed  it  plainly.  Then  Slugger  Brown  sud- 
denly turned  to  glare  at  the  Rovers. 

"Is  this  some  of  your  work?"  he  demanded. 
"If  it  is,  let  me  tell  you  I'll  pay  you  back  for  it!" 

"Stop  that  talk,  Brown!"  commanded  Colonel 
Colby.  "I  want  you  and  Martell  to  answer  my 
question.  Why  did  you  g<?>  over  there  and  shoot 
those  cows?" 


THE  EXPOSURE  293 

"Who  says  we  shot  the  cows?"  questioned 
Nappy,  faintly. 

"Never  mind  who  says  so.  You  did  it,  and  it 
is  useless  for  you  to  deny  it.  Here  are  the  two 
guns  you  took  from  the  gun  rack  and  afterwards 
hid  in  your  beds.  And  here  is  the  despicable  note 
you,  Brown,  wrote  and  mailed  to  Mr.  Lacy,"  and 
the  colonel  held  out  the  communication. 

"Oh,  Colonel  Colby,  I  di—di— didn't  do  it!" 
faltered  Slugger  Brown.  His  face  had  suddenly 
gone  white,  and  he  could  scarcely  speak. 

"Do  you  deny  that  this  is  your  handwriting?" 

«I__I Oh,  is I— I— didn't •  That 

is "  and  here  Slugger  Brown  broke  down  ab- 
solutely, not  knowing  what  to  say. 

"Did  you  mail  that  letter  or  did  Brown  do  it?" 
questioned  the  colonel,  quickly  turning  to  Mar- 
tell. 

"He  did  it !  I  didn't  have  anything  to  do  with 
it !"  burst  out  Nappy,  breaking  down  completely. 

"It  ain't  so!"  cried  Slugger.  "He  was  with 
me,  and  he  dropped  the  letter  in  the  post-office !" 

"And  so  you  killed  the  cows  to  get  the  Rovers 
into  trouble?"  said  Colonel  Colby;  and  now  his 
eyes  glittered  like  steel.  "A  fine  thing  to  do, 
truly !  I  did  not  think  any  of  our  cadets  would 
stoop  to  such  a  base  action." 

"It  was  a — er — a  joke,"  gasped  Nappy. 


294        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"A  joke!  To  kill  two  valuable  cows?  Mar- 
tell,  if  you  talk  that  way,  I'll  be  inclined  to  think 
you  are  losing  your  senses.  But  evidently  there 
is  something  radically  wrong  with  both  you  and 
Brown,"  went  on  the  master  of  the  Hall.  "This 
case  of  the  cows  and  the  plot  against  the  Rovers 
is  bad  enough,  but  I  have  another  matter  against 
you  which  may  prove  even  worse." 

"What  is  that?"  questioned  Slugger,  very 
faintly. 

"It  is  a  case  that  Captain  Larkins  of  the  steam 
tug,  Mary  D.,  has  lodged  against  you.  He  says 
he  has  absolute  proof  that  both  of  you  went  out 
in  a  motor  boat  one  day  and  tampered  with  the 
towing  line  and  the  chains  of  a  large  lumber  raft, 
so  that  when  a  sudden  squall  came  up  on  the  lake, 
the  towing  line  parted  and  the  lumber  raft  went 
to  pieces." 

"Oh,  say!  that  must  have  been  the  squall  we 
were  out  in!"  exclaimed  Randy.  "And  we  got 
caught  among  that  floating  lumber,  too !" 

"Yes,  that  was  the  time,"  answered  Colonel 
Colby. 

"Oh,  Colonel!  can't  we  go  to  our  cousins  and 
tell  them  that  they  can  have  their  freedom?" 
questioned  Andy,  with  a  sudden  thought  of  those 
left  in  the  guardroom. 

"Yes,  Rover.    Both  of  you  and  also  Lowe  can 


THE  EXPOSURE  295 

go,"  was  the  colonel's  reply.  "I  will  settle  this 
affair  with  Brown  and  Martell." 

"And  will  you  settle  it  with  Mr.  Lacy,  too?" 
queried  Randy,  quickly. 

"Yes.  I  will  fix  the  whole  matter  up.  You 
may  tell  Jack  and  Fred  that  they  need  not  worry 
any  further  on  this  score."  And  thereupon  Andy, 
Randy  and  Ned  hurried  away  to  bear  the  glad 
tidings  to  the  prisoners. 

Of  course  Jack  and  Fred  were  greatly  pleased 
to  be  released.  They  listened  eagerly  to  all  the 
twins  and  Ned  had  to  relate. 

"So  Nappy  and  Slugger  are  guilty !"  cried  Jack. 
"What  a  mean  way  to  act !" 

And  to  think  they  are  also  guilty  of  sending 
that  lumber  adrift,"  said  Fred.  "They'll  suffer 
for  that." 

"They  ought  to  suffer,"  answered  his  cousin. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

A   FOOTBALL   VICTORY — CONCLUSION 

"WHOOP  her  up  for  Colby  Hall!" 
"This  is  the  time  Columbus  Academy  wins!" 
"Not  on  your  life!    This  is  Colby  Hall  day!" 
"You'll  sing  a  different  tune  after  the  game  is 
over!" 

"Hurrah!  here  come  the  elevens  now!" 
And  then  a  wild  shouting,  intermingled  with 
the  tooting  of  horns  and  the  sounding  of  rat- 
tles, rent  the  air,  while  banners  went  waving  on 
every  side. 

It  was  the  day  of  the  great  game  between  Colby 
Hall  and  Columbus  Academy.  It  had  been  de- 
cided that  the  contest  should  take  place  on  the 
field  belonging  to  the  military  academy,  and  once 
again  everything  had  been  put  in  the  best  of 
order  for  this  gala  occasion.  The  grandstand 
and  the  bleachers  were  overflowing  with  specta- 
tors, and  in  a  distant  field  were  parked  a  hundred 
automobiles  or  more,  while  in  another  field  were 
numerous  carriages  and  farm  wagons. 

296 


A  FOOTBALL  VICTORY— CONCLUSION     297 

"We've  certainly  got  a  crowd  to-day,"  re- 
marked Randy,  who,  with  his  brother,  was  in  the 
section  of  the  stand  reserved  for  the  Colbyites 
and  their  friends.  In  front  of  the  twins  and 
their  chums  sat  Ruth,  May,  and  half  a  dozen 
other  girls  from  Clearwater  Hall. 

"I  don't  see  anything  of  Nappy  Martell  or 
Slugger  Brown,"  remarked  Ida  Brierley,  who  was 
with  the  girls. 

"I  hope  you  don't  want  to  see  them>  Ida,"  re- 
turned Ruth,  promptly. 

"Indeed,  I  do  not!"  answered  the  other  girl. 
"I  was  only  wondering  what  had  become  of 
them." 

"Jack  told  me  they  had  both  left  the  Hall  for 
the  term.  They  shot  those  cows,  you  know,  and 
they  had  some  other  trouble  which  was  hushed 
up." 

"Oh,  that  was  the  trouble  over  that  lumber 
raft,"  put  in  Jennie  Mason. 

"Right  you  are !"  answered  Andy,  bending  over 
and  speaking  in  a  low  tone  so  that  no  outsider 
might  hear.  "Their  folks  had  to  pony  up  a  pretty 
penny,  too,  for  the  lumber  and  for  the  cows." 

"Oh,  well,  let's  forget  Martell  and  Brown," 
broke  in  May.  "I  want  to  enjoy  this  game." 

"And  that's  what  we  all  want  to  do,"  said  Alice 
Strobell. 


298        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

What  had  been  said  concerning  Slugger  Brown 
and  Nappy  Martell  was  true.  Questioned  by 
Colonel  Colby,  the  two  misguided  cadets  had 
finally  broken  down  utterly  and  contessed  every- 
thing, telling  how  they  had  once  gotten  into  a 
quarrel  with  Captain  Larkins  on  the  lake  and 
how  they  had  sought  to  get  square  by  tampering 
with  the  fastenings  of  the  lumber  raft  and  the 
towline ;  and  they  had  also  related  the  particulars 
of  how  they  had  watched  Jack  and  Fred  go  out 
shooting  and  had  then  purloined  the  two  shot- 
guns from  the  gun  rack  and  hurried  over  to  the 
Lacy  farm  to  shoot  the  cows.  Mr.  Brown  and 
Mr.  Martell  had  been  called  upon  to  pay  both  the 
lake  captain  and  the  old  farmer  heavy  damages; 
and  thereupon  they  had  withdrawn  their  sons 
from  the  Hall  for  the  time  being. 

"And  I'm  glad  they're  gone,"  had  been  Fred's 
comment.  "I  hope  they  never  come  back  here 
again." 

"Yes,  we  could  do  without  Brown  and  Mar- 
tell  very  well,"  had  been  Jack's  answer. 

Both  of  the  cousins  were  particularly  happy  on 
this  day.  Jack  occupied  his  former  position  on 
the  eleven,  and  Fred  had  been  drafted  from  the 
scrub  team  and  put  on  the  substitutes'  bench  in 
place  of  Brown. 

"Maybe  I'll  get  a  chance  to  play!"  cried  the 


A  FOOTBALL  VICTORY— CONCLUSION     299 

youngest  Rover  eagerly,  when  the  football  cap- 
tain brought  him  the  news. 

"Perhaps  so,  Fred,"  answered  Gif.  "Although, 
of  course,  I  hope  none  of  our  players  get  hurt.** 

As  the  Colby  Hall  eleven  marched  out  on  the 
gridiron,  Jack  glanced  towards  the  grandstand 
and  caught  Ruth's  eye.  The  girl  gaily  waved  a 
Colby  Hall  banner  at  him.  Then  May  caught 
sight  of  Fred  on  the  side  lines,  and  shook  her 
hand  at  him. 

Spectators  from  the  town  were  almost  as  much 
interested  in  the  contest  as  were  the  two  schools. 
This  football  game  was  always  the  big  match  of 
the  season,  and  many  wagers  were  placed  on  the 
result.  In  the  past  the  contests  had  always  been 
exceedingly  bitter,  with  the  various  scores  almost 
a  tie,  Columbus  Academy  winning  by  a  narrow 
margin  one  year  and  Colby  Hall  taking  the  lead 
by  an  equally  narrow  margin  the  following 
year. 

When  the  Columbus  Academy  boys  came  out 
on  the  field,  it  was  seen  that  they  were  good, 
husky  fellows,  every  bit  as  heavy  as  the  Colby 
Hall  eleven.  They  looked  in  the  pink  of  condi- 
tion. 

"I  am  afraid  our  boys  will  have  their  work  cut 
out  for  them  in  this  game,"  remarked  Mr.  Crews 
to  Colonel  Colby. 


300        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

"Well,  our  boys  look  pretty  fit,"  answered  the 
master  of  the  Hall. 

By  the  toss  of  a  coin,  Columbus  Academy  won 
the  choice  of  position,  and  took  the  west  goal 
the  slight  wind  that  was  blowing  being  in  */Vfiir 
favor.     Then  the  two  teams  lined  up  for  the 
kick-off. 

"Now  then,  boys,  show  'em  what  you  can  do !" 
yelled  the  Colby  Hall  cadets,  and  then  the  school 
slogan  rang  out  on  the  air. 

"Put  it  all  over  'em,  boys!"  yelled  one  of  the 
Columbus  Academy  followers.  "Come  on  now, 
all  together!"  he  added,  and  started  up  a  song, 
the  refrain  of  which  contained  the  line:  "We're 
here  to-day  to  bury  them !" 

"What  an  awful  song  to  sing !"  remarked  Ruth. 

"Oh,  you  mustn't  mind  that,"  returned  Andy, 
gaily.  "He  sings  best  who  sings  last,  as  the  cat 
said  to  the  bird." 

It  must  be  confessed  that  both  teams  were 
rather  nervous  at  the  outset  of  the  contest.  The 
play  was  decidedly  ragged,  and  one  or  two  mis- 
takes were  made,  which,  however,  profited  neither 
side  anything.  The  ball  was  carried  first  to  the 
Colby  Hall  lo-yard  line,  and  from  there  it  went 
back  to  the  Columbus  1 5-yard  line,  and  then  it 
sawed  back  and  forth  until  eight  minutes  of  the 
first  quarter  had  passed. 


A  FOOTBALL  VICTORY— CONCLUSION 


301 


"Gee!  this  begins  to  look  like  a  blank,"  was 
Spouter's  comment. 

"So  it  does,"  returned  Dan  Soppinger.  "Say! 
can  any  of  you  tell  me  why  the " 

"Don't  ask  questions  now,  Dan,"  interrupted 
Randy.  "Oh,  look !  look !"  he  burst  out  suddenly. 
"Isn't  that  great !" 

The  ball  had  dribbled  back  and  forth  until,  by 
a  punt,  it  reached  Colby  Hall's  2O-yard  line.  It 
landed  close  to  Jack,  and  like  a  flash  he  gathered 
it  to  his  breast  and  started  for  the  Columbus 
goal. 

"Go  it,  Rover!  go  it!" 

"Don't  let  'em  down  you,  Jack !" 

With  his  friends  cheering  lustily,  Jack  sped  on, 
dodging  many  straight-arm  tackles,  and  skipping 
from  right  to  left  and  then  back  again  in  order 
to  avoid  the  numerous  players  who  seemed  to 
confront  him  as  if  by  magic.  Then  somebody 
appeared  on  his  left,  and  the  next  moment  he  went 
down  with  a  thud,  not  knowing  where  he  had 
landed. 

"It's  a  touchdown !"  was  the  cry,  and  then  the 
Colby?  Hal!  followers  went  wild  with  delight, 
while  Columbus  Academy  was  mute.  The  girls 
stood  up  in  the  grandstand  and  waved  their  ban- 
ners gaily. 

"Oh,  just  to  think,  Jack  did  it!"  murmured 


302         THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

Ruth,  and  her  face  showed  her  intense  satisfac- 
tion. 

"Now  if  only  Walt  Baxter  can  kick  a  goal!" 
cried  Randy. 

But  this  was  not  to  be,  for  at  the  moment  the 
leather  sailed  through  the  air,  a  strong  puff  of 
wind  came  up  and  the  ball  went  just  outside  the 
posts. 

"Well,  never  mind,"  cried  Randy,  consolingly ; 
"that  puts  us  in  the  lead." 

The  run  had  somewhat  exhausted  Jack,  but 
still  he  insisted  upon  keeping  on  playing,  and 
after  the  wonderful  exhibition  he  had  made,  Gif 
had  not  the  heart  to  call  in  a  substitute  tc>  take 
his  place. 

But  if,  with  a  touchdown  in  their  favor,  Colby 
thought  to  remain  in  the  lead,  they  soon  had  this 
hope  shattered.  The  Columbus  Academy  eleven 
played  a  fast  and  snappy  second  quarter,  and,  as 
a  result,  before  it  was  half  over  they  took  the  ball 
on  a  fumble  and  circled  the  left  end  for  twelve 
yards. 

"Say,  that's  going  some,"  remarked  Fatty. 

"Oh,  it  won't  net  them  anything,"  responded 
Andy. 

But  in  this  he  was  wrong,  for  on  the  next  two 
plays  Columbus  carried  the  ball  over  the  line  for 
a  touchdown. 


A  FOOTBALL  VICTORY— CONCLUSION     303 

"A  tie!  A  tie!"  yelled  the  followers  of  the 
Academy. 

"Now  then,  boys,  don't  miss  the  goal !" 

"It  isn't  likely  they'll  miss  it,"  grumbled  Andy. 
"The  wind  is  in  their  favor."  The  goal  was  kicked 
with  ease,  and  then  the  score  stood:  Columbus 
Academy — 7,  Colby  Hall — 6. 

During  the  intermission  between  the  second 
and  third  quarters,  Gif  and  Mr.  Crews  gave  the 
eleven  some  very  pointed  instructions.  One 
player  had  hurt  his  ankle  slightly,  and  he  was 
taken  out  and  a  substitute  took  his  place.  But 
the  substitute  was  not  Fred,  much  to  that  youth's 
disappointment. 

If  the  first  and  second  quarters  had  been  fast 
and  snappy,  the  third  quarter  was  even  more  so. 
Back  and  forth  went  the  ball,  and  it  was  lost  both 
by  Colby  Hall  and  by  the  Academy  team.  There 
were  some  really  fine  tackles  and  splendid  runs, 
but  all  of  these  availed  nothing.  And  when  the 
whistle  blew  the  score  still  stood  6  for  Colby  Hall 
as  against  7  for  Columbus  Academy. 

"Tough  luck!"  groaned  Ned. 

"Oh,  we're  going  to  win — I'm  sure  of  it !"  an- 
swered Randy. 

"I  hope  what  you  say  proves  true,"  returned 
Ruth,  hopefully. 

Just  before  the  whistle  was  given  for  the  end 


304        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

of  the  third  quarter  there  had  been  a  grand  crash 
and  a  fierce  mix-up  on  the  field.  Then  it  was 
found  that  both  a  Columbus  Academy  player  and 
a  Colby  Hall  youth  would  have  to  be  taken  out 
of  the  game. 

"Now  then,  Fred,  here's  your  chance/'  said 
Gif,  coming  up  to  the  youngest  Rover.  "I'm  go- 
ing to  put  you  in,  and  I  want  you  to  help  us  win 
the  game." 

"Win  it  is!"  cried  Fred,  his  eyes  shining  eag- 
erly. "We'll  either  win  or  we'll  die !" 

When  the  whistle  blew  for  the  final  quarter,  all 
of  the  players  who  trooped  on  the  field  had  a 
do-or-die  expression  on  their  faces.  Once  more 
the  play  became  fast  and  furious,  and,  as  a  re- 
sult, in  less  than  three  minutes  Columbus  Acad- 
emy scored  another  touchdown,  which,  however, 
failed  of  a  goal. 

"Hurrah!  That's  the  way  to  do  it!"  yelled 
their  followers  in  keen  delight. 

"Brace  up,  boys!  brace  up!  This  won't  do  at 
all.  Come  on  now,  all  together!"  And  then 
Colby  Hall  went  in  with  renewed  vigor  so  that 
inside  of  a  few  minutes  more  they,  too,  had  scored 
another  touchdown,  and  from  this  they  managed 
to  kick  a  goal. 

"Hello !  what  do  you  know  about  tha^ f  An- 
other tie!" 


A  FOOTBALL  VICTORY— CONCLUSION     305 

"Thirteen  to  thirteen!  Same  as  that  other 
game!  Say,  this  is  getting  mighty  interesting!'* 

So  far,  Fred,  although  he  had  played  as  hard 
as  anybody  in  the  game,  had  failed  to  make  any 
appreciable  showing.  Now,  however,  with  only 
a  few  minutes  to  spare,  he  saw  his  chance. 

One  of  the  Columbus  Academy  players  had 
dropped  back  for  a  punt.  Fred,  who  was  close 
at  hand,  made  a  sudden  leap  over  a  protecting 
half  back  and  blocked  the  kick. 

"Say,  look  at  that !  Fred  Rover  is  in  the  game 
for  keeps!" 

"Send  it  back,  Fred !    Send  it  back !" 

The  words  were  scarcely  spoken  when  the 
thrilled  spectators  saw  that  the  youngest  Rover 
boy  had  the  leather.  Like  a  flash  he  sent  it  roll- 
ing back,  Gif  coming  to  his  aid. 

"A  safety !    A  safety  for  Colby  Hall !" 

"Hurrah!  that  puts  Colby  two  points  ahead!" 

"Good  work  for  Fred  Rover!" 

"Now  then,  Colby  Hall,  you've  got  'em 
a-going !  Keep  it  up !" 

"Pitch  into  'em,  Columbus!    Pitch  into  *em!" 

So  the  yelling  went  on  while  all  of  the  specta- 
tors stood  up  in  their  seats,  anxious  to  see  what 
might  be  accomplished  next.  But  there  was  no 
time  to  do  more.  The  whistle  blew  and  the  great 
game  was  over. 


306        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

Colby  Hall  had  won ! 

In  a  twinkling  the  huge  field  was  covered  with 
spectators  running  in  all  directions,  and  the  vic- 
torious eleven  was  surrounded.  Many  were  the 
congratulations  showered  on  all  the  players,  and 
it  may  well  be  believed  that  Jack  and  Fred  came 
in  for  their  full  share. 

"The  finest  game  I  ever  saw,"  declared  Colonel 
Colby,  as  he  shook  hands  with  all  his  youthful 
players. 

"Oh,  Jack!  It  was  simply  grand — that  run 
you  made!"  exclaimed  Ruth,  when  she  saw  him. 

"Yes.  And  the  way  you  played  for  that 
safety !"  put  in  May  to  Fred. 

Columbus  Academy  was  much  disheartened 
over  its  defeat,  yet  it  cheered  the  victors  and  was 
cheered  in  return ;  and  then  the  great  crowd  grad- 
ually dispersed. 

"Bonfire  to-night,  boys !  And  a  big  one,  too !" 
cried  Andy,  as  he  rushed  up  to  fairly  embrace 
both  his  cousins.  Then,  to  work  off  some  of  his 
high  spirits,  the  acrobatic  youth  turned  several 
cartwheels  and  handsprings. 

"What  a  pity  our  folks  weren't  here  to  see  this 
game,"  said  Jack,  wistfully. 

"Never  mind,  we'll  write  them  all  the  particu- 
lars," announced  Randy.  "And  we'll  send  them 
copies  of  the  local  paper,  too.  That  will  have  a 


A  FOOTBALL  VICTORY— CONCLUSION          307 

full  account  of  it,"  and  this  was  done  as  soon  as 
possible. 

After  the  game  refreshments  were  served  to 
the  cadets  and  their  particular  friends,  and  in 
this,  of  course,  the  Rovers  and  the  girls  from 
Clearwater  Hall  joined.  Then  the  boys  took  the 
girls  back  to  their  school  in  an  automobile. 

"We  are  certainly  having  one  dandy  time  at 
this  school,"  remarked  Fred,  on  the  way  back  to 
Colby  Hall. 

"Right  you  are !"  answered  Randy. 

"If  only  we  hadn't  had  that  trouble  with  Slug- 
ger and  Nappy,"  remarked  Jack. 

"Oh,  don't  bother  about  those  fellows!"  cried 
Andy.  "I  don't  believe  they'll  ever  trouble  any 
of  us  again." 

But  in  this  he  was  mistaken.  Brown  and  Mar- 
tell  did  trouble  them,  and  in  what  manner  will  be 
related  in  the  next  volume  of  this  series,  to  be 
entitled :  "The  Rover  Boys  on  Snowshoe  Island ; 
or,  The  Old  Lumberman's  Treasure  Box." 

In  that  volume  we  shall  meet  all  the  boys  and 
their  chums  again,  and  also  learn  the  particulars 
of  a  queer  mystery,  and  also  of  a  great  joke 
played  upon  Professor  Asa  Lemm. 

The  cadets  of  Colby  Hall  were  a  happy  crowd 
that  night.  A  great  bonfire  blazed  along  the  bank 
of  the  river,  and  around  this  the  boys  cut  up  to 


308        THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 

their  hearts'  content.  Then  they  marched 
around  and  around  the  Hall,  singing  loudly. 

"It's  certainly  a  dandy  school,  isn't  it?"  re- 
marked Jack  to  his  cousins. 

"The  best  ever!"  they  answered  in  a  chorus. 
And  here  for  the  present  we  will  leave  the  Rover 
boys  and  say  good-bye. 


TBS  END 


This  Isri 


Would  you  like  to  know  what 
became  of  the  good  friends  you 
have  made  in  this  book? 

Would  you  like  to  read  other 
stories  continuing  their  adventures 
and  experiences,  or  other  books 
quite  as  entertaining  by  the  same 
author  ? 

On  the  reverse  side  of  the  wrap- 
per which  comes  with  this  book, 
you  will  find  a  wonderful  list  of 
stories  which  you  can  buy  at  the 
same  store  where  you  got  this  book. 

Don't  throw  away  the  Wrapper 

Use  it  as  a  handy  catalog  of  the  books 
you  want  some  day  to  have.  <ZBut  in 
case  you  do  mislay  it,  write  to  the 
'Publishers  for  a  compkte  catalog. 


THE  HARDY  BOYS  SERIES 

By  FRANKLIN  W.  DIXON 

Illustrated.     Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself 

The  Hardy  Boys  are  sons  of  a  celebrated  American 
detective,  and  during  vacations  and  their  off  time  from 
school  they  help  their  father  by  hunting  down  dues  them- 
selves. 

THE  TOWER  TREASURE— A  dying  criminal  confessed  that 
his  loot  had  been  secreted  "  in  the  tower."  It  remained  for  the 
Hardy  Boys  to  clear  up  the  mystery. 

THE  HOUSE  ON  THE  CLIFF— Mr.  Hardy  started  to  invest- 
igate— and  disappeared !  An  odd  tale,  with  plenty  of  excitement. 

THE  SECRET  OF  THE  OLD  MILL— Counterfeit  money  was 
in  circulation,  and  the  limit  was  reached  when  Mrs.  Hardy  took 
some  from  a  stranger.  A  tale  full  of  thrills. 

THE  MISSING  CHUMS— Two  of  the  Hardy  Boys'  chums 
disappear  and  are  almost  rescued  by  their  friends  when  all  are 
captured.  A  thrilling  story  of  adventure. 

HUNTING  FOR  HIDDEN  GOLD— in  tracing  some  stolen 
gold  the  trail  leads  the  boys  to  an  abandoned  mine,  and  there 
things  start  to  happen. 

THE  SHORE  ROAD  MYSTERY— Automobiles  were  disap- 
pearing most  mysteriously  from  the  Shore  Road.  It  remained  for 
the  Hardy  Boys  to  solve  the  mystery. 

THE  SECRET  OF  THE  CAVES— When  the  boys  reached 
the  caves  they  came  unexpectedly  upon  a  queer  old  hermit. 

THE  MYSTERY  OF  CABIN  ISLAND— A  story  of  queer 
adventures  on  a  rockbound  island. 

THE  GREAT  AIRPORT  MYSTERY— The  Hardy  Boys  solve 
the  mystery  of  the  disappearance  of  some  valuable  mail. 

WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  MIDNIGHT— The  boys  follow  a 
trail  that  ends  in  a  strange  and  exciting  situation. 

WHILE  THE  CLOCK  TICKED— The  Hardy  Boys  aid  in  vin- 
dicating a  man  who  has  been  wrongly  accused  of  a  crime. 

FOOTPRINTS  UNDER  THE  WINDOW— The  Smuggling 
of  Chinese  into  this  country  is  the  basis  of  this  story  in  which  the 
boys  find  thrills  and  excitement  aplenty. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  NEW  YORK 


TED  SCOTT  FLYING  STORIES 

By  FRANKLIN  W.  DIXON 
Illustrated.     Each  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

No  subject  has  so  thoroughly  caught  the  imagination  of 
young  America  as  aviation.  This  series  has  been  inspired 
by  recent  daring  feats  of  the  air,  and  is  dedicated  to 
Lindbergh,  Byrd,  Chamberlin  and  other  heroes  of  the  skies. 

OVER  THE  OCEAN  TO  PARIS; 

or,  Ted  Scott's  Daring-  Long  Distance  Flight. 

RESCUED  IN  THE  CLOUDS; 

or,  Ted  Scott,  Hero  of  the  Air. 

OVER  THE  ROCKIES  WITH  THE  AIR  MAIL; 

or,  Ted  Scott  Lost  in  the  Wilderness. 

FIRST  STOP  HONOLULU; 

or,  Ted  Scott  Over  the  Pacific. 

THE  SEARCH  FOR  THE  LOST  FLYERS; 

or,  Ted  Scott  Over  the  West  Indies. 

SOUTH  OF  THE  RIO  GRANDE; 

or,  Ted  Scott  On  a  Secret  Mission. 

ACROSS  THE  PACIFIC ; 

or,  Ted  Scott's  Hop  to  Australia. 

THE  LONE  EAGLE  OF  THE  BORDER ; 

or,  Ted  Scott  and  the  Diamond  Smugglers. 

FLYING  AGAINST  TIME; 

or,  Breaking  the  Ocean  to  Ocean  Record. 

OVER  THE  JUNGLE  TRAILS ; 

or,   Ted  Scott  and  the  Missing  Explorers. 

LOST  AT  THE  SOUTH  POLE; 

or,  Ted  Scott  in  Blizzard  Land. 

THROUGH  THE  AIR  TO  ALASKA; 

or,  Ted  Scott's  Search  in  Nugget  Valley. 

FLYING  TO  THE  RESCUE ; 

or,  Ted  Scott  and  the  Big  Dirigible. 

DANGER  TRAILS  OF  THE  SKY; 

or,  Ted  Scott's  Great  Mountain  Climb. 

FOLLOWING  THE  SUN  SHADOW; 

or,  Ted  Scott  and  the  Great  Eclipse. 

BATTLING  THE  WIND; 

or,  Ted  Scott  Flying  Around  Cape  Horn. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,   NEW  YORK 


THE  AVIATION  SERIES 

By  JOHN  PRENTICE  LANGLEY 


Here  is  an  intensely  exciting  series  on  a  topic  of  world- 
wide interest — Aviation.  Every  day  one  hears  of  new  stunts 
accomplished  by  pilots.  With  the  passing  of  each  year 
new  records  in  altitude  and  long  distance  are  made.  In 
these  stories  Amos  Green  and  his  chum,  Danny  Cooper, 
accomplish  all  the  thrilling  deeds  of  the  air  that  have 
been  done  before  only  by  hardened  veterans.  Moreover, 
backed  by  the  mysterious  "  Mr.  Carstairs  "  they  succeed  in 
doing  stunts  new  to  the  history  of  aviation.  You'll  find 
them  vastly  exciting. 

TRAIL  BLAZERS  OF  THE  SKIES 
SPANNING  THE  PACIFIC 
MASTERS  THE  AIR-LANES 
THE  PATHFINDER'S  GREAT  FLIGHT 
AIR  VOYAGERS  OF  THE  ARCTIC 
DESERT  HAWKS  ON  THE  WING 
CHASING  THE  SETTING  SUN 
BRIDGING  THE  SEVEN  SEAS 
THE  STAIRCASE  OF  THE  WIND 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


BOB  CHASE  BIG  GAME  SERIES 

By  FRANK  A.  WARNER 


In  these  thrilling  stories  of  outdoor  life  the  hero  is  a 
young  lumberjack  who  is  a  crack  rifle  shot.  While 
tracking  game  in  the  Maine  woods  he  does  some  rich 
hunters  a  great  service.  They  become  interested  in  him 
and  take  him  on  various  hunting  expeditions  in  this 
country  and  abroad.  Bob  learns  what  it  is  to  face  not 
only  wildcats,  foxes  and  deer  but  also  bull  moose, 
Rocky  Mountain  grizzly  bears  and  many  other  species 
of  big  game. 

BOB  CHASE  WITH  THE  BIG  MOOSE  HUNTERS 
BOB  CHASE  AFTER  GRIZZLY  BEARS 
BOB  CHASE  IN  THE  TIGER'S  LAIR 
BOB  CHASE  WITH  THE  LION  HUNTERS 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    PUBLISHERS,   NEW  YORK 


BUDDY    BOOKS   FOR  BOYS 

Illustrated.      Individual   Colored  Wrappers 

Tales  of  Western  pioneer  days  and  the  California  gold 
fields  ;  tales  of  mystery,  humor,  adventure ;  thrilling  stories 
of  sports  and  aviation.  There  is  a  wide  range  of  subjects 
in  this  list  of  titles — all  by  well-known  authors  of  books 
for  boys. 

HOT  DOG  PARTNERS By  William  Heyliger 

YOUNG  EAGLE  OF  THE  TRAIL By  J.  Allan  Dunn 

THE  LAND  OF  MONSTERS By  Harold  M.  Sherman 

QUARTERBACK  HOTHEAD  By  William  Heyliger 

LEFTY  LEIGHTON By  Percy  Keese  Fitzhugh 

NUMBER  44 By  Harold  M.  Sherman 

BILL  DARROW'S  VICTORY By  William  Heyliger 

THE  STORY  OF  TERRIBLE  TERRY.  ..By  Percy  Keese  Fitzhugh 

BEYOND  THE  DOG'S  NOSE By  Harold  M.  Sherman 

DING  PALMER,  AIR  DETECTIVE By  Harold  M.  Sherman 

BEAN-BALL  BILL By  William  Heyliger 

CAMERON  MacBAIN,  BACKWOODSMAN 

By  Harold  M.  Sherman 

FLYING  HEELS By  Harold  M.  Sherman 

FLASHING  STEEL By  Harold  M.  Sherman 

BUFFALO  BOY By  J.  Allan  Dunn 

THE  CLOUD  PATROL By  Irving  Crump 

SPIFFY  HENSHAW By  Percy  Keese  Fitzhugh 

THE  PILOT  OF  THE  CLOUD  PATROL By  Irving  Crump 

DON  RADER,  TRAIL  BLAZER By  Harold  M.  Sherman 

TUCK  SIMMS,  FORTY-NINER By  Edward  Leonard 

WIGWAG  WEIGAND By  Percy  Keese  Fitzhugh 

HERVEY  WILLETTS By  Percy  Keese  Fitzhugh 

SKINNY  McCORD By  Percy  Keese  Fitzhugh 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    Publishers,    NEW  YORK 


